Aru
by ethereal infernia
Summary: After Sasuke left, Sakura was no more than an empty shell. Neji came and rescued her, only to betray her  in the end as well. And then...the Uchiha returned. NejiXSakuXSasu, a little bit of SakuXOC
1. Her heart: broken

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

XxXxX

Ten years had passed since Uchiha Sasuke decided to permanently walk out the doors of Konohagakure, even after a failed (and a rather desperate) attempt of his 'former teammate' to convince him otherwise. He was aware of the consequences regarding his choice and knew what he would become to his former home once he leaves. Even so, he urged on in his quest for power so that he can defeat his infamous brother, the one who deprived him of his right to have a complete family and a normal life.

Right outside those doors were the Sound Five, tasked by Orochimaru to fetch his lovely, newly prized possession.

And he never looked back.

However, even if he did not look back, the past kept on following him. Naruto, promising a weeping Sakura that he would return Sasuke to Konoha, relentlessly pursued his best friend along with his comrades in rookie nine. They supported Naruto in his endeavor, even if some of them thought that the Uchiha survivor was already a lost cause.

XxXxXxX

Naruto, who became a full pledged ANBU along with most of the rookie nine, was walking with his team on the path leading to Konoha. They were hushed and pensive and the only sounds that they could hear were their blue sandals stepping and scraping against the dirt. In the middle of the group was a tall man, handcuffed with chakra inhibiting chains with long disheveled raven hair and eyes that were as black as onyx.

Uchiha Sasuke was finally able to defeat his brother (who apparently had a chronic illness) and killed Orochimaru after he found out that his 'master' had other plans in mind for him. Now that he had fulfilled his life long goal, he decided to come back home despite his mind telling him not to do so. Actually, he didn't care if he will be welcomed or not. All he cared about was coming home and probably fix what remains of the Uchiha Manor…that is, if the Godaime decides not to imprison him, which is somewhat an unlikely thought. It wouldn't hurt to hope though.

But he knew one thing for sure: Judging from the offenses that he did against Konoha throughout the years, he's in for heaps and heaps of trouble. It's surprising that they didn't kill him yet.

Seeing the twenty two year old Naruto, Shikamaru, Chouji and Kiba came as a shock to him. Of course, their features and personalities became more mature and defined but he could still see that some of their habits were still there. Naruto was slowly becoming more and more similar to the Yondaime, which meant that he was growing more handsome, much to Shikamaru and the other's dismay. He knew, because the Yondaime has a framed picture that hung on one of the hallways inside the Ninja Academy. Naruto is still the same, but not as loud and as obnoxious as before (thankfully). Now, even if he jokes around, he maintains this certain aura around him making others feel that they should really take him seriously. Chouji was still a heavy eater and Kiba is still…well, Kiba. Shikamaru was like a yawning machine and despite his intelligence; he was still as lazy as ever.

The four were sent to retrieve Sasuke under the Godaime's orders. In fact, Naruto and his team would've left even without the order, but still, for formalities' sake. However, in this occasion, Sasuke willingly accepted them and went off without a fight much to the four men's puzzlement and relief. Up until today, Naruto refused to talk to the Uchiha prodigy. Sasuke didn't have much of a problem with it though and he somehow had an idea behind his …err…friend's silence.

Even with his long uncut and tousled raven hair, one could still see that Sasuke preserved his handsome features. His onyx eyes are as intense as ever and his once pale skin is now smeared with a little bit of tan due to his intensive training. Like the others, his body became more toned and defined and he replaced his Orochimaru-like garb with a simple Black shirt that had an Uchiha symbol printed at the back and a pair of cargo pants.

"Damn, I'm hungry." Chouji groaned out of the blue as he quickly moved his knapsack so that he could rummage through it, and found a bag of potato chips in a matter of seconds. He closed the zipper and opened the bag expertly, and soon, the group's silence was drowned by his incessant gobbling and chewing.

Shikamaru just sighed and shook his head while everyone else remained quiet behind their ANBU masks. Chouji was always annoyed with their mask and if they aren't battling, he usually places it at the side of his head stating that there was no need to hide if there aren't any enemies. Besides, it interferes with his eating.

"I wonder…" Kiba spoke after a few minutes. When he did, everyone's attention turned towards him. "Is it the end of the world today?"

"Ry (Why)?" Chouji inquired with his mouth full, splattering a few specs of chips in the process.

Kiba jerked his chin to Naruto's direction.

"Well, Naruto's quiet for the first time in twenty-two-years of his life." Kiba remarked as he slipped his mask up making it rest atop his head. On his lips was a mocking smile and Sasuke could tell that Naruto just rolled his eyes. "I thought that he couldn't stand to keep quiet even for five minutes."

"I'm not THAT noisy, baka." Naruto spat with a huff. Sure, he could be quiet…but for thirty minutes straight? Something is definitely wrong. "I'm just bothered."

Shikamaru took off his mask as well and placed it on the side of his head. "Hinata…right?" He asked nonchalantly while he fixed the mask's position. When he was done, he placed his hands behind his head and spared the fox boy a glance. He knew he was right, because Naruto was quiet once again and his cheeks were laced with a little bit of red.

They had been on this journey for three days now and while they were camping, Shikamaru told Sasuke regarding Naruto and Hinata's relationship…Which didn't really surprise him. Hinata's affections for him weren't exactly a secret and he wondered why it took such a long time for Naruto to notice her.

But what perks up his curiosity the most is why the four of them refused to talk about their other teammate, the pink-haired Haruno Sakura. Whenever Sasuke asks something about her, they would either change the topic or keep quiet. Chouji just told him that Sakura changed, and that's about it.

'_Changed…? How much?'_

Sasuke was too busy dwelling in his own thoughts that he was only half listening to the ongoing conversation about Naruto's girl friend.

"Well… we've been gone for a very long time. She has grown for sure…maybe even stronger. She's been hanging out with Sakura since we left. That's saying something." Kiba replied, mentioning Sakura's name for the first time in days. "And those boobs…" His voice trailed off, his expression dreamy.

Naruto was quick to respond and bonked him in the head. "OW!"

"Stop saying those things about Hinata-chan!" Naruto scolded him, giving him a death glare while his face was bright red in embarrassment. Seeing his reaction, Chouji and Shikamaru's eyes turned into slits and an amused smirk played on their lips.

"Why Naruto? Haven't you noticed?" Chouji asked sheepishly while his right hand continued to dig inside the bag of chips. "I mean, she has the most gifted—"he was cut short when Naruto hit him in the head as well. "UWAH~! That hurts!"

"I told you, stop saying those kinds of things!" Naruto's face was as red as a lobster and his efforts to silence his teammates only backfired. Seeing their small spat amused Sasuke a little bit and somehow made him feel nostalgic. Silently, he raised his hands (he is handcuffed, remember?) to scratch his cheek and looked down, kicking a pebble that was on his way.

Sakura…

Shikamaru and Kiba also told him that she had become an excellent medical-nin and that she greatly excelled in her ninja skills, earning the respect of all the citizens in Konoha and at the same time garnering a new nickname: Sakura-hime. They started calling her that a few years ago when she passed the ANBU exams and when she took over during Tsunade's two month absence. Naruto became an ANBU a year after her, because he spent most of his time outside Konoha, both for mission and training purposes.

They also narrated that Sakura had become a very beautiful woman and is now immensely popular amongst the male population. She began to have numerous suitors and some of them even came to Konoha just to ask her hand in marriage. Among those suitors was the handsomest bachelor in the village: The Genius Hyuuga Neji.

This piece of information appalled Sasuke as the image of Neji and Sakura holding hands instantly popped in his mind. It was just weird… seeing that she and Neji hardly talked when they were young. However, Chouji also added that they have been together for about a year now and still going strong. The people even thought that they were perfect for each other.

When Sakura was at her lowest, it was Neji who helped her stand up again (Sasuke didn't know WHEN Neji began to care). Neji was well aware that Sasuke will always have a part of her heart (Kiba and the others left this out of their conversation) but he still chose to pursue her. It was until such time that Sakura fell for him as well and slowly, she went back to the chirpy, exuberant Sakura that they once knew. Neji mended the wounds that Sasuke had inflicted on her many years ago and now, they are happy as ever.

With a silent sigh, Sasuke gazed at the now darkened sky.

XxXxXxX

Sakura jumped around the forest as she made her way home. It was a rough day of training in which she started at 1 PM until seven in the evening. She was exhausted and her mint eyes strained to see more clearly because of the lack of light in the forest. Her body was sweaty and dirty and she constantly imagined herself taking a wonderful, aromatic hot bath.

While she was busy making her way home (and imagining), something fell unto Sakura's nose as she stopped and landed swiftly one huge tree branch.

"It's snowing?" She whispered and immediately looked up, one hand holding onto the humungous tree branch to maintain her balance. It was then that she saw tiny snowflakes coming down from the sky symbolizing the arrival of the winter season. Next to spring, she loved the winter season. Sakura grinned and leaped off once again, happy that winter is finally here and that she could see lights from afar.

'_Almost there.' _

'_**Hurry up dammit. I wanna take a bath.' **_Inner Sakura raged with one fist in the air. Sakura rolled her eyes.

'_Please don't ruin my good vibes. I'm almost there, so shut up will you?'_

Much to her relief and surprise, her inner self obeyed and kept quiet. Sakura immersed herself in silence once more as she relished in the feel of the cold wintery air against her face.

"Neji! What the hell are you doing! Why did you bring me here?"

Sakura immediately came to a halt and her sudden stop almost made her topple off a branch. Luckily, she was able to get hold of the tree bark and maintained her balance.

'_That voice seems familiar… and Neji?'_

Still and motionless, Sakura instinctively repressed her chakra as she strained her ears to try and hear more clearly. While listening, she closed her eyes to concentrate so that she could detect any chakra within a twenty meter radius.

True, she could sense Neji but the other one came more of a shock to her.

'…_Tenten? What is she doing here with Neji?' _

The revelation made her furrow her eyebrows as Sakura decided to jump off to try and see what the ruckus was all about. Once she did she furtively walked through the forest before finding a clearing that was illuminated by fireflies. Afraid that she might be exposed, she hid behind the largest tree nearby and peeked.

'_**You're like a peeping tom right now.'**_

'_Shut up.'_

"Neji!" She heard Tenten gasp as she tried to move closer to the two. It seems that they were the only ones there, since she could not sense any more chakras around.

Later, she heard their breathing getting heavier and she slowly felt something lodging in her throat. Sakura didn't even notice that she wasn't breathing anymore. She wanted to expose herself and demand what the hell was going on, but part of her told her to just hide and watch.

"I love you." The deep voice that she has grown all too familiar with sounded and Sakura's knees instantly weakened. However, she held on to the tree bark as if her life depended on it while she continued to eavesdrop. "I love you." He repeated.

'_Neji?... What's going on?' _Despite the obvious, Sakura still refused to believe what was happening and chose to stay.

"But Neji! What about Sakura?" Tenten hissed back at him with fury. "Do you have _any _idea what you're doing right now? What you are doing to _her?_"

"Tenten… you know that we have been together since we were young." Neji replied in a surprisingly calm voice, hurting Sakura even more. "I know that you held affections for me since from the start…and I did too."

'_Run Sakura.' _Her mind screamed but Sakura shook her head. Tears were now falling from her wide jade eyes as she clasped a hand around her mouth to silence the sobs. _'Run. Now. Please…' _

Her body shook in silence and that familiar gnawing pain, the one that she thought she would _never _feel again, began to crawl within her system, slowly eating her from the inside.

She could see a tear strained Tenten looking away, affirming Neji's words. Neji was pinning her hands against the tree and his back was facing her. Sakura could see his long smooth hair glinting beneath the light of the fireflies.

"Don't do this Neji… please." Tenten whispered desperately and she saw Neji raising his head. "I thought you and Sakura are happy. Why did you ask her out in the first place?"

"I did. I love Sakura… I comforted her because I saw her in so much pain and I was the only one who was in the Academy."

_Flashback_

_Sakura sat on one of the swings located inside the Konoha Academy. She held onto the chains and lazily swayed herself, while tears continuously were streaming down her face. It was a free day, so there weren't any students around. Or so she thought._

"_Sakura-san?" A voice sounded and Sakura immediately wiped her tears using the back of her hand before looking up. It was Hyuuga Neji, his white milky eyes gazing at her while he held what seemed like a folder on his right hand. He was only a few feet away from her. "…Are you okay?"_

_Sakura wanted to laugh at his question. "Are you being sarcastic or what?" She snapped, surprising Neji in the process. True enough, he thought Sakura was pretty but he never talked to her unless necessary. But right now, he realized he knew what Lee meant about seeing girls cry. _

"_Um, no. I wasn't." Before he could even stop himself, he sat down on the swing next to hers. He knew he was being out of character, which was baffling Sakura but he just continued whatever the hell he was doing. It was too late to stop now anyway. "I…can listen… if you want to that is."_

_Sakura was uncertain at first. Neji knew that the kunoichi had all the right to be suspicious of him, especially when he's acting all caring and concerned. It was as if Sakura was waiting for him to say 'just joking!'. But when he didn't, Sakura took a very deep breath and began to rant about her thoughts regarding Sasuke and Naruto, her hurts and such. Neji didn't say anything and just listened._

_That was where it all began._

_End of Flashback_

"Yes, I love her." Neji sighed deeply. "But even if I was with her… I constantly think about _you._ For our first months together I thought it would just disappear… but no… whenever I kiss her I think of you. Whenever I hug her I imagine that it was you."

Tears were falling from her eyes like rain and Sakura took a few steps backwards, her head shaking a bit as her trembling lips continued to whisper 'no'. Her legs felt weak, she felt like she was suffocating and she wanted to escape.

So she ran.

The agony that was eating her was devastating. As she ran, she tried to pump as much energy as she could in her legs while she continued to cry. Her running was sloppy and the cold air, which she once loved, made things worse. She didn't know how long she ran or how far, but she didn't care. All she cared about was to escape.

But when she felt like energy has fully escaped her system and that her muscles were crying out in pain, Sakura stopped and looked up. She was out of breath and crying, which proved to be quite a task and realized that she was already in town. People nearby were staring at her and Sakura did what was most reasonable: slip on her phoenix mask.

"Sakura-hime…are you alright?" A small girl gazed at her with her wide innocent honey colored eyes. Sakura gazed at her and gave a silent nod, before patting the girl in the head and left.

Sluggishly, she walked through Konoha with no particular destination in mind. If you looked closely, you can see tears falling down her chin. Sakura felt like a zombie, her mind in a daze and her body not her own.

'_Bastards.' _She thought as the images of Neji and Sasuke appeared in her mind. _'Cold-hearted bastards.'_

She couldn't bear another major heart break… first Sasuke… then Neji… both of them betrayed her… both of them broke her heart, and maybe even stepped on it, and tore it into a million pieces, so that she may be unable to recover.

It was just too much for her…

How could Neji, the man she trusted her heart with… would betray her like this?

Sakura looked up at the sky.

'_Someone save me from the hell I'm in.'_

XxXxXxX

Sakura reached her apartment; mask still on and her body still shaking. She had stopped crying a few minutes ago and as she opened the door, she spared no time in taking off her mask. As she closed it with a slam, she tossed the keys on a nearby glass basin and began stripping while making her way to the bathroom.

Once she was in, she looked at her reflection in the glass mirror. The young girl from before had all the right to question her well being. She looked horrible. Puffy eyes, black tears due to the washed out mascara and disheveled hair. Due to a sudden burst of anger, she punched the mirror, earning her another wound: bloody knuckles.

"F***!" She cursed as broken parts of the glass began to fall. Sakura took in a sharp breath and decided to open the faucet and slipped in the tub, not waiting for it to fill. When the water was about waist length, Sakura leaned her head on the rim, letting her bloody knuckles rest at the sides giving the water an eerie pinkish color.

Right now, she felt so numb. She couldn't even feel the pain from her hand or from her chest. It seems that she had cried more than enough tears because they now refused to come out. As she stared at her white ceiling, Sakura began to wonder what she did in order to deserve this kind of treatment.

'_He saw Tenten in me huh.'_

XxxXxxx

It was already morning and finally, Naruto and his team were able to reach the glorious gates of Konoha. Appearance wise, nothing much seems to have changed and Sasuke saw Naruto looking at him. His gaze made Sasuke to raise both of his eyebrows.

"We're here." Shikamaru said, stating the obvious as he sighed in relief. The two Jounins that were guarding the gates rose from their seats and went to greet them, except Sasuke of course. The Uchiha could see the amount of respect Naruto had earned from them by the way they greeted him. However, it did not escape the fact that they gave Sasuke some pretty nasty glares.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the numerous congratulations and greetings, they heard a shrill female scream. They turned to look at who it was, but they didn't seem surprised at all.

Shikamaru sighed, closed his eyes, opened his arms, smiled and readied himself for the impact.

BAM!

And they landed on the ground with an over-hyperactive blonde on top of him.

"Shika-kun!" Ino piped out happily as she hugged him tight. Shikamaru opened his eyes and hugged her back, not even caring if they were hugging on the ground. Sasuke turned his head a bit to see Naruto and Hinata hugging as well, wherein a few seconds later the fox boy stole a kiss from her lips making the Hyuuga heiress giggle.

They really have changed.

"Hey, where are the others?" Sasuke heard Naruto ask Hinata.

"I think Neji-san's at the ANBU office while Sakura-chan is in the hospital. They would meet you guys soon…maybe on the Hokage's office." Hinata replied automatically. Sasuke noticed that she wasn't stuttering anymore, much to his relief.

"Welcome back Uchiha." Ino, who was now off the ground and helping his boyfriend up, greeted him with her voice dripping with venom. She hated the Uchiha ever since she knew the story about Sakura trying to stop him. Hinata was the one kind to him though. And after their small talk, they headed off to the Hokage's office so that they would know Sasuke's punishment.

But before they could even have another step, Sasuke saw something from afar that made him stop.

A pink-haired ANBU wearing a mask was staring directly at him.

"Naruto." Sasuke called in a low voice while retaining his gaze at the kunoichi. His call slightly surprised Naruto because he and Sasuke refused to talk to each other during the entire course of the journey. He turned to look at him as Sasuke raised his hands so that he could point at something …or rather _someone _from afar. They all followed the direction his index finger was pointing at.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto gasped instantaneously, waving both of his hands even if he had already caught her complete attention. True, Sakura may be looking at them but her body was facing the other direction. It gave the impression that she was frozen right on the spot.

When Naruto realized that she wasn't moving, he slowly let go of Hinata's hand and ran towards the poor girl…err…woman.

Sakura opened her arms and received Naruto, then hugged him as tightly as she could. She wanted someone to lean on, to hug, to talk to and it seems God has answered her prayer. "Naruto…" She whispered with longing, her voice muffled due to her mask. "I missed you…so much."

"Eh? No need to sound so sad Sakura-chan…" Naruto replied cheerfully as he pulled away and gazed at her in arm's length. After a few seconds, he began removing her mask to expose Sakura's face. "I'm home after all." He added with a wink. Sakura, with her puffy eyes gone, smiled in return. She wanted to act as cheerful as possible for his sake. She didn't want to spoil his mood.

"Look! I fulfilled my promise to you! Teme's home!"

Sakura turned her head towards the gate's direction and saw Uchiha Sasuke, handcuffed and looking quite worn, fatigued and wary. Behind his long hair, his onyx eyes were staring back at her and instead of running to his arms like what he _somewhat _anticipated, Sakura just stared right at him (which was a more expected reaction).

She gave him a nod and Sasuke, from afar, nodded back.

"Sakura-chan? Aren't you happy that he's back?" Naruto asked, disappointed at her lack of reaction. She was somewhat hoping for Sakura to be bouncing up and down in happiness. Sakura however, shook her head.

"No no Naruto. I'm happy…"

Naruto looked unconvinced. "It sure doesn't seem like it."

"Believe me Naruto… I am… Something just came up. Let's go to Tsunade-sama's office before she gets mad of waiting." Sakura reassured him as she held his hand (Hinata doesn't mind). The warmth that was emanating from Naruto's hand was comforting and it made her feel…consoled. "Come on you guys. I can't wait to hear what happened to you on the mission."

And as they walked away, Sasuke just stood there, staring.

'_Kiba and Shikamaru were right.'_

XxxXxXx

Hokage Tower…

"Uchiha Sasuke, don't think that you're going to get away with this without any punishment." The Godaime warned him and Sasuke only returned it with a languid nod. She was blonde and had an overwhelmingly large bust which is something that he didn't expect at all. She looked too…feminine to be Hokage. Plus the red painted nails.

"I am ready for the punishment Hokage-sama." He said evenly. Sakura was currently busy talking with Naruto who was boasting how he defeated all those sound ninjas without even breaking a sweat. Because of this, Shikamaru rolled his eyes out of annoyance.

Tsunade nodded as Shizune gave her a blue scroll which she opened.

"First, do I need to read all of your offenses?"

Sasuke merely shook his head.

"Fine then. You're going to be under surveillance for two whole years and you would be stripped off your ninja rights temporarily. For about one year or so. After one year you are required to do 50 Class A-B missions and maybe even do some class S."

Sasuke didn't respond. Tsunade took his reaction as a form of agreement and put down the scroll before giving the prodigy a defiant stare.

"The elders wanted an execution punishment on you but someone convinced them that they should give you another chance. As for _how _that person did it_, _that remains a mystery." Tsunade said lazily, eyeing Sakura who was now leaning on the wall with her arms crossed. She looked like she was in deep thought. "Really…this is the lightest punishment that we could give you."

'_I wonder what's bothering her.' _The Godaime thought, somewhat worried for her.

Soon, the doors opened revealing Hyuuga Neji in his ANBU attire with the Jounin Tenten behind him. Sakura shifted from her position and turned her back on the group, facing the window instead. An action which Shikamaru and Sasuke noticed.

"Good morning Tsunade-sama." Both of them chorused. Neji spared Sakura a glance as she smiled and nodded, before turning away again to look at the scenery outside. Naruto was now too preoccupied with Hinata to notice, but the others were somewhat wary of the lack of reaction between the two.

"So… any complaints Uchiha?" Tsunade asked, breaking the ice. She then nodded to Kiba and Chouji as the two broke the handcuffs, which made Sasuke to inwardly sigh in relief. He could feel the chakra coming back into his system and the warmth that accompanied it.

"No." He replied, massaging his wrists.

"Good. Sakura, you have an operation to do in thirty minutes. Neji, there are some papers needed to be looked at in your office. Tenten, Lee called you earlier… he said something about training…"

Everyone nodded, except Tenten and Sasuke.

"Dismissed."

And the group walked out. Once they were outside the Tower, Naruto told everyone that they were going to have a celebration at the Ichiraku. Sasuke decided to pass (since he needed to fix himself up) and surprisingly, Sakura did so too.

"But why Sakura-chan?" Naruto questioned, looking worried. "Are you alright?"

Tenten and Neji looked at each other, then back at the kunoichi.

"Sakura." Neji said in a low tone as he reached down and intertwined his hand with hers. The way he called her name made Sakura ache. "Is something the matter?"

Sasuke swore he saw Sakura's hand twitch. Shikamaru was closely observing the couple while half listening to Ino.

Sakura looked up at him and smiled. She wanted to punch him _so _bad but decided against it. "I'm just feeling a little down, that's all." She replied, pointing to the snow that completely covered the ground. "Winter blues."

She could feel Neji's warmth through her hand and fingers and it hurt.

"Sakura-chan! You were the one who gave us the idea remember? You told me we're going to have a celebration once we arrive. Come on… don't act like a party pooper. Just for fifteen minutes and you could go!" Naruto said sprightly, smiling at her. Sakura looked at Hinata as she nodded encouragingly at her.

Sakura sighed, a wry smile playing on her lips."Oh alright. But for fifteen minutes only."

"YOSH!".

Sakura had to close her eyes to stop the tears that were coming and let out a cough instead. She felt Neji squeezing her hand once and she faked a smile at him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, she nodded.

Sasuke stared at both of them, particularly at Sakura while ignoring the other's conversation. He noticed that something was wrong… something was missing… the way she acted around Neji… the way her hand shook when he reached out for her…

'_Something happened. I know it.'_


	2. Her heart: crushed

**As what the usual readers might have noticed, Aru is the revised version of A Thousand Lies.**

**A BIG THANK YOU TO THE FIRST REVIEWERS! :D Please continue reviewing, they really motivate me to write more. :3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>Konohagakure, Ichiraku.<p>

The group shared one large round table and Naruto did the honors of ordering. (basing from the clock) Starting from 12, the seat occupants are as follows (clockwise): Naruto, Hinata, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Sasuke (who decided to join them on a whim and because he needed to eat first), Kiba, Tenten, Neji then Sakura.

The conversation was lively and no one mentioned anything regarding Sasuke's endeavours (which included his brother or Orochimaru) since they all wanted to have a good time and celebrate, not relish in bad memories. Sasuke was inwardly happy about it too because even if they asked, he will not answer them anyway. Besides, he is not _that _welcome in this group…him being the centre of the conversation would be highly unlikely.

Right in front of him was Sakura who was engaged in a cheery chitchat with Naruto. It was something about what was new in Konoha, like shops and stalls with Hinata providing additional information to the conversation. Even if she was laughing, chatting and smiling, Sasuke can tell that she is sporting a very fake, unconvincing (to him that is) façade. He and Sakura had been friends for years and even if he was gone for a long time, nothing can change that fact. He prided himself in being able to tell whether Naruto or Sakura was lying (he is secretly glad that he still has those abilities). The only person that he cannot figure out in Team 7 was their former sensei, the highly enigmatic Hatake Kakashi.

As he continued to observe, he could see that her skin was now in a shade of porcelain white, her eyes were more defined and her facial features as well. Her lips have become fuller and her cheeks were laced with a wonderful shade of pink. Seeing all of this, Sasuke's lips parted a bit. Her childish features were gone and she now looked like a full-blown woman.

However, his eyes travelled to the man beside her and was surprised that milky eyes were staring right back at him. Neji looked smug and by his expression, he could tell that the Hyuuga had caught him staring at his girlfriend.

'_What the hell's with THAT look?' _He thought, raising one of his eyebrows at him. The two went into a glaring contest, but after a few seconds, Naruto called Neji's attention which forced him to look away. Sasuke had to fight back a smirk at his victory.

"So! How are you two?" Naruto asked rather casually as he rested his arm on the back of Hinata's chair. With his question, Sakura's smile faded and Neji seemed somewhat surprised. Everyone waited for their response, until Sakura began to laugh.

It never felt so painful to laugh. It was like, with every breath a knife was piercing through her lungs.

"What are you talking about Naruto?" Sakura 'psshed' and quickly held Neji's hand. "We're okay. The same. Right Neji?" She asked in a sweet voice then gazed at Neji's eyes as if she was trying to find the answer herself.

Neji gave a small, polite smile and nodded veeerry slowly. Shikamaru's face was blank but attentive while Naruto, ever oblivious, smirked.

"God, you two are so uptight. Why don't you take a vacation or something? You and Neji need to spend more time together." Ino commented with a suggestive wink, but the couple seemed nonchalant. "Don't you think so Shika?"

Meanwhile, Tenten was staring at the tissue holder near her as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Shikamaru snapped out of his thoughts and let out an intentional yawn. "Yeah, maybe."

After that, the group got immersed in uncomfortable silence. Fortunately, the orders arrived just in time and Naruto pulled out a wine glass, which he bought on the way to the Ichiraku. The owner, a good friend of Naruto's, provided them with glasses as he poured wine onto each one of them.

"For Sasuke! Welcome home teme!" Naruto exclaimed out of the blue as he raised his glass, earning him a surprised, caught off guard look from the Uchiha. "We've missed having your _annoying_ presence."

He wanted to look blasé, but a very small smile fought its way through. It felt good that Naruto had decided to talk to him again and felt like a load has been taken off of his chest. Quietly, he took his glass and raised it as well.

"Cheers!" Naruto bellowed as everyone smiled (except Neji) and raised his or her glasses.

"Cheers!"

"Welcome home teme." Naruto repeated, reaching his hand out as Sasuke nodded, reached out and shook his hand in return. Seeing this, Sakura felt extremely happy realizing that Team 7 is finally reunited, after all of those hardships that they have been through and even if they have so much to patch up.

Yet, even if she wanted to feel happy, she couldn't and she is still having a difficulty mustering and maintaining a smile.

"Team 7 is finally reunited." Sakura whispered under her breath, catching Naruto and Sasuke's attention as she raised her glass to them and drank. Naruto gaped as he watched her consume the wine in just a few gulps.

"Damn Sakura-chan." He winced when she finished and Sakura chuckled and gave him a 'don't-be-so-surprised' look.

The group engrossed themselves in casual chit chat and ate for a few minutes until Sakura checked her wristwatch and stood up.

"I'm sorry guys, but I really need to go now."

Naruto nodded.

"See you guys later. See you Neji."

And she left without even leaving a customary goodbye kiss to Neji. Neji and the others got somewhat confused about this but forgot about it when another person arrived.

POOF!

"Yo." Kakashi waved idly. Naruto's smile grew wider.

"Kaka-sensei! I thought you were never going to come! You're as late as ever!" Naruto ushered Kakashi to Sakura's now empty seat as he ordered another bowl of ramen. "Sakura just left."

"Oh?" He said, looking sincerely surprised while sitting down.

"Yeah."

Kakashi looked at his grown former student.

"Sasuke."

"Sensei."

"Welcome back."

"Thank you."

A moment of silence…

"God, you guys sounded cold." Naruto made a face. "And I thought teme was warming up."

Kakashi didn't respond as he whipped out his usual perverted book while waiting for his order. Sasuke could see that little has changed with Kakashi. He just looks…older and he's still sporting the same Jounin uniform. However, even if this was the case, they were all aware of Kakashi's real level. And by that he means his strength.

And as usual, his greetings are still as lame and as languid as ever.

* * *

><p>The celebration ended about two hours later and Sasuke made his way back to the Uchiha Compound. Of course, he could tell that there were ANBU members trailing him as part of his punishment but he pretended not to notice. He was too tired to care anyway. It was hard coming back after all of these years and it seems that the once lively Uchiha compound is now enveloped with a more sinister atmosphere.<p>

"Tadaima." He whispered to no one in particular when he reached the entrance, his eyes gazing at the old abandoned houses. He could even see some graffiti on the old, mould laden walls, much to his displeasure and disappointment. _'So much work to do.'_

The whole Uchiha family's savings were put under his name, which means he has more than enough means to have the old houses demolished and his own house renovated, even if it was hard doing so. Heck, he has enough money to keep Konoha afloat for a few years. He knew keeping the extra houses would be senseless and it would just be a waste of space. He didn't even know whether he will have a chance to revive the Uchiha clan again and even if he did, it will be a bad idea to have his children and their families stay in houses where their ancestors were once murdered.

It was time to move on and let go.

But right now, he needed to fix himself up.

* * *

><p>Night arrived in Konohagakure as the skies turned into a vivid color of midnight black and stars dotted the night sky. The snow was getting heavier and heavier and the streets and trees were now completely covered in snow. Now, Konohagakure seemed like a winter wonderland.<p>

Like the cherry blossoms, its beauty has temporarily vanished due to the season. Everything around her was cold, making her unable to bloom. Konoha's cherry blossom withered with the trees and blended in with the snow.

Sakura was now inside her house, listening intently to the soft tune being played over the radio while contemplating on how to talk to her boy friend who just betrayed her.

_Ohhh Ohhh_

_I woke up today  
>Woke up right awake<br>In an empty bed  
>Staring at an empty room<br>I have myself to blame  
>For the state I'm in today<em>

Glossy jade eyes gazed at the radio.

_And no dying doesn't seem so cruel  
>And oh I don't know what to say<br>And I don't know anyway  
>Anymore<em>

_I hate myself for losing you  
>I'm seeing it all so clear<br>I hate myself for losing you  
>What do you do<br>When you look in the mirror  
>and staring at you is why he's not here<em>

The song made her raise an eyebrow. It seems like the DJ knows what state she was in right now. With a groan, she turned and lay on her back with her head hanging off the side of the sofa.

_You got what you deserved hope your happy now  
>Cause every time I think of her with you<br>It's killin me Inside  
>And now I dread each day<br>Knowing that I can't be saved  
>From the loneliness<br>Of living without you_

Sakura grabbed a pillow and hugged it tight, while tears started to come out from her beautiful jade green eyes that were once full of emotions. But her eyes were now sad… cold… inconsolable… and alone.

Her best friend and her boy friend… it's bittersweet.

_And oh I don't know what to do  
>Not sure that I'll pull through<br>I wish you'd know_

She thought that Neji was the man she had been waiting for. The man who would save her from the darkness she was in when Sasuke left. But it seems Neji returned her to the darkness himself, because of another woman.

Her best friend.

'_Am I… Am I not enough for him?'_

She sobbed unto the pillow, while gripping it tightly. Crying was the only thing that she could do right now.

_I hate myself for loosing you  
>I'm seeing it all so clear<br>I hate myself for loosing you  
>What do you do<br>When you look in the mirror  
>and staring at you is why he's not here<em>

_Ohhhhh I hate myself for loosing you_

When she was still with her parents, they also gave her a hard time. Her father frequently insults her and he also tells her that he wishes that she was never been born. Her mother sometimes comforts her but it was not doing any help.

_What do you say  
>When everything you said<br>Is the reason why he left you  
>In the end<br>How do you cry  
>When every tear you shed<br>Won't ever bring him back again_

_I hate myself for loving you_

Sakura remembered the time when Sasuke called her annoying or stupid or something insulting. Then he left her hanging in the air for power. It took a long time before she got over him. And now, Neji, the one she loves…

He also became a traitor.

She hastily stood up, threw the pillow against the wall out of frustration and felt the dizziness before dropping herself on the sofa… feeling helpless. She felt pathetic right now… and she couldn't believe that she's experiencing all this pain again.

She needed to do something to stop crying… to keep the white-eyed Hyuuga from her mind. She needed something as an escape route.

She can't just lie here and cry… can she?

And so she stood up, balanced herself on the wall and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She could see that her eyes were extremely swollen. If Tsunade knew about this she would surely go berserk. The Sannin was not scared of letting Sakura know how much she cared for her and Tsunade even said that she sees her like she's her own daughter.

'_I can't afford letting her know about this.'_

And the same goes for the others.

She gave out an aggravated sigh as she fixed her hair in a ponytail, donned her sandals and reached out for the door. She's planning on training on the forest until she goes tired. At least she could do something. After training she would go to the hospital and work.

"Right."

She dashed unto the forest, betrayed, disillusioned and cold. She didn't even think bringing a jacket or a sweater to warm her up. She just went out with her usual clothes.

Her dull eyes kept on searching for a training area while ignoring the cold that was piercing through her skin like fine needles.

"Neji… Stop."

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks.

"Tenten…"

"No…"

"Please…"

Sakura's face creased in pain as she hid behind a tree and for the second time, she tried to find two people that she now hated the most. She jumped to another tree and from a few meters; she could see Tenten leaning in a tree with Neji in front of her. Neji's head was already in the crook of her neck!

"Neji… this… is… wrong…"

"I thought you loved me." He breathed and Sakura felt like the world had crumbled from beneath her feet.

The pain was agonizing.

"I do… Neji… I do."

Sakura shut her eyes tight.

"Then let me show it to you."

Sakura's fingernails dug deep into the bark of the tree that she was hiding unto, unable to notice that her strength was slowly gnawing the tree off. Her eyebrows met in anger, her mind was screaming for her to separate the two, and she felt her knees slightly buckle. However, she did not dare make a sound as Neji and Tenten shared a deep, passionate kiss.

'_**Sakura… get out… run…'**_

Her second personality was already telling her to leave, and so she did. But when she took another step backwards, she stepped on a twig, making it snap and its sound was loud enough to catch Tenten and Neji's attention.

"What was that?"

Neji turned his head.

He froze.

Sakura stood near a tree, wide-eyed with tears falling down her face.

Tenten could clearly see her too.

"Sa—Sakura!" She sputtered, but the kunoichi had already vanished in a whirl of cherry blossom petals.

* * *

><p><strong>Note: The Song featured here is "I hate myself for losing you." by Kelly Clarkson<strong>

**Read and Review! :) No flamers allowed. :)**

**E.I.**


	3. Her heart: failing

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>After that ordeal, a pregnant silence filled the premises. Appalled expressions were evident on their faces and they stood there dumbfounded in what seemed like forever. Sakura had discovered them in such an inopportune, not to mention inappropriate moment.<p>

To Tenten, she was scared of losing Sakura as a friend and the possible consequences that it may entail. To Neji, he felt like blood has been drained from his entire system.

Soon enough, the two exchanged worried and anxious glances.

"What now Neji? Should we run after her?" Tenten croaked, breaking the ice completely while her fingers absentmindedly touched her lips.

Neji shook his head.

"No, let me talk to her." He said looking somewhat apprehensive, but sounded determined nonetheless. He knew what he had done and he would face the penalty, but he just did not expect for Sakura to know _this _way. "You need to go home Tenten."

"But Neji—she's my friend too." Tenten protested, her forehead creasing as she reached out and grabbed his sleeve. "We should both talk to her."

"If we both talk to her, it means we are both at fault." Neji replied, gently pulling her hand from his sleeve and faced her. He then raised his hand and cupped her cheek. Tenten leaned on his warmth and looked up, where she saw him wearing a sad smile on his lips. "Besides, she can hurt us at this state. And I don't want you to get hurt."

When he kissed her forehead, Tenten closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. She knew he was right. Neji was protecting her from the wrath of the people and possibly from Sakura, but it is not fair. She wanted to explain herself too, she wanted to tell Sakura how much she loved her…boyfriend. No, this is not fair.

It is not fair for both of them.

"But Neji…"

"No buts Tenten, go home." Neji's voice became firm and saw his gaze that brooked no denial. Tenten, still quite hesitant, bit her lower lip and nodded.

"Be careful."

With a sigh, Neji jumped off.

* * *

><p>Neji had his Byakugan activated as he scoured the streets of Konoha for any sign of the kunoichi. However, no matter how hard he looked, she could not find her. He even dropped by her house but she wasn't there. After thirty minutes of endless but futile searching, he sat on her front porch to rest, rapping his head for some ideas regarding her possible whereabouts.<p>

'_Come on Neji…think! THINK!'_

While he was sitting there, he saw two people walking by. There was a toddler and she was blowing on a rotating paper fan that she held on her tiny left hand, the other holding onto her mother's dress. Neji watched the mother-daughter duo until they were completely gone from his sight, before an idea came onto his mind.

'_Of course! Where else could it be?'_

* * *

><p>Quiet sobs were heard in the Ninja Academy's playground as a figure sat on the swing, swaying lightly with her feet never leaving the ground. Unconsciously, Sakura led herself here and decided to just stay and sit down. Energy was beginning to abandon her and her body felt like it weighed a few tons more.<p>

She sat there in silence and eventually lost track of time. Her head leaned onto the swing's chain while tears were continuously falling down on her now blank façade. She was so tired, of crying and hurting. She didn't even feel like herself anymore.

She hated herself for being weak, for being like this. But what happens when the person you trusted the most chose to betray you?

"Sakura." A voice broke the eerie silence and Sakura had to smile sadly at the sense of déjà vu that hit her.

"What did I do Neji?" Sakura asked almost immediately, her voice hoarse and gruff. It hurt Neji seeing and hearing her like this, but he knew that this was his doing. "Was I a bad girlfriend? Was I a bad kisser? Am I ugly?

…Was I not good enough…?"

But this time, Neji didn't sit beside her. Instead, he stood behind her with his fists clenched.

"Why are you being so quiet? Can you not answer my questions?" Sakura urged on as he watched her body tense, her voice a pitch higher. When he still did not respond to her question, a fake, weak chuckle escaped her lips. "Or better yet, don't answer my questions. I get a feeling that I don't want to hear your answers anyway."

"…Sakura…" He called out, his voice fading away with the wind.

"NO!" She screamed and pulled her hands to cover her ears, a good indication that she was beginning to shut down. Neji closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself down. Once he reopened them, he saw Sakura's trembling, crouching form. The sight was far too painful for him and seeing this made him teary eyed. But he didn't have the right to cry, he did this. He inflicted this pain, the pain that was making her crumble from the inside out.

"Don't talk anymore… please leave me alone Neji. Just…I beg of you, leave me alone." There was a hint of desperation in her voice and Neji knew that she would not listen anymore. She was not in a state to listen to long, full explanations.

No, she was far too broken for that now.

Neji broke her. The same way Sasuke did.

No, maybe even worse.

There was a moment of silence between the two and for a long time, all they could hear was Sakura's sobs. Neji looked up at the sky and took another deep breath, as he gnawed his jaw and closed his eyes again. When he reopened them, he looked at Sakura.

"Even if this is happening." He said, his voice cracking at his intense effort to pacify himself. He never expected that he would find himself in some sort of a humungous love problem. But here he was, apologizing to Haruno Sakura for betraying her and breaking her already broken heart. "Remember that there was a time where I truly loved you. I'm truly sorry Sakura."

With one last glance, Neji walked away.

* * *

><p>6 AM in the morning.<p>

Sasuke had awoken in his old bed, his hair still long and uncut but he looked noticeably fresher compared to yesterday. He did not have any good sleep since he was captured and last night he got some good, extensive eight hours. He could tell, for he felt like he was growing a headache and knew that this was because his body had grown attuned to having little to no sleep at all. Groggily, he sat up and walked towards his bathroom, where he took a bath, brushed his teeth and shaved using his kunai.

When he was done, his face looked years younger and Sasuke gazed at his own reflection in the mirror. His hand reached up to touch his locks and made a face. _'This is troublesome.' _He thought and pursed his lips.

With a huff, he took off his clothes and donned on a fresh outfit (same style). Sure, it smelled weird because of the time that it spent inside his cabinet but it was better compared to the clothes that he wore back at Sound Village. After everything was finished and done, he went out of his house. _Maybe some exercise would do me some good._

While he was walking towards the Konoha Forest, he caught sight of something pink in the distance. He knew that there was only one person with pink hair in Konoha, so he practically knew who it was right away.

"Sakura?"

He saw her walking, rather feebly towards another housing division in the village. Curious, he decided to follow her until such time that she led him to an apartment building.

'_She lives by herself now? What happened to her old house?' _He thought and saw her opening the gates and entering. When she closed them, Sasuke was able to catch a glimpse of her face.

The sight made him cringe.

Her eyes were swollen, as if she had spent the whole night crying, her skin looked paler than before and she looked like she was about to faint any minute now.

She was a mess.

'_What the hell happened to her?'_

But once she entered the building, Sasuke decided to put off his curiosity for now. Even if the questions in his mind was eating him away.

* * *

><p>For the next two days, Sakura spent most of her time in the hospital. Actually, she is spending <em>too much<em> time in the hospital. She only goes home in the morning to take a bath or to change her clothes. Sometimes, she even skips a meal. She was accepting all the patients that entered the hospital doors, which made the staff immensely worried.

Sakura had become an extreme workaholic in a snap. They also noticed that Hyuuga Neji wasn't visiting her anymore, which ignited several rumours. However, whenever they ask Sakura about it, she just smiles and shakes her head then go back to whatever the hell she was doing. Also, the kunoichi warned the staff not to report to Tsunade, stating that she knows what she is doing.

It was nighttime and Sakura had just healed her twenty seventh patient for the day. She massaged her left shoulder and flexed her neck, feeling the strain of the chakra depletion in her body. _Good grief, I need a good massage… and probably some sleep. _Upon entering her office, a desire to drink a good cup of coffee hit her but decided that she would rather have a warm bath instead and maybe return once she changes into a fresh set of clothes.

When the staff saw that she was gathering her things, they felt somewhat relieved that she had _finally _decided to take some rest. Even if two days had only passed, she looked noticeably thinner, with dark circles around her eyes and a very pale, almost sickly complexion.

"That's why you should never deplete yourself with chakra." A medic nin warned his comrade as she passed.

Sakura exited the hospital and took a deep breath, ignoring the protests of her body in the process. She did all her best to keep thoughts of Neji out of her mind and so far, she is doing a good job at it. But she knew she still has a long way to go until she can go back to her normal self again. That is, if she can ever recover. Plus, she still has to talk to Tenten and Neji regarding the situation but not until when she is ready.

For tonight, a long walk would do her some good.

Soon, she reached one of the more remote areas of the town and turned to a nearby corner.

'_I guess I unconsciously took the long road home.'_

"Sakura." A voice called out and she quickly turned around to see who it was. Just a few feet away stood Uchiha Sasuke, his hair shorter but very choppy (she presumed he tried to cut it himself) and looking considerably neater. She also noticed that he had abandoned his Sound Village ensemble into the usual Uchiha garb.

"Sasuke." She acknowledged with a nod at the same time feeling slightly suspicious. The man does not usually speak to her unless absolutely necessary, especially after what had happened. "Good evening. Is there something that you need?" She inquired while fixing her bag's straps that rested on her shoulder. Her vision was getting blurry and her breathing became more laboured, but she ignored them all and used her remaining energy to continue standing.

Sasuke had to get used to Sakura calling his name without the typical suffix, at the same time, he felt somewhat empty without the sweetly pronounced 'kun'. In addition, even if he would NEVER EVER admit it, he somehow missed her old self.

Along with the polished looks and the more womanly frame, that spark of light that always adorned Sakura's jade eyes were gone. They were blank, empty and cold.

Just like him.

More importantly, why is she looking even worse than before? Now that you think about it, he hasn't seen her in two days… what has she been doing? Even Naruto voiced out his concern, wondering where she was and why he hasn't gotten a word from her…

…and why did he call out her name? He could have just gone by and ignored her presence, but no, he had to stop and call her name. Now he was standing there like an idiot, wondering what excuse he should make to make it sound like he wasn't stalking her or something.

But before he could say anything else or even react…

Sakura collapsed.

"Sakura!" He gasped and was quick to come to her aid. He caught her just in time before her body could reach the ground and Sasuke was appalled upon realizing how light she was. How much weight did she lose? Why is she looking so sick?

Why is she so cold?

"Sakura! Sakura!" He whispered as he heaved Sakura unto his arms. He pushed some stray strands away from her face and tried to find something that may indicate that she is still alive. He pressed two fingers on her neck and was relieved to find a pulse, amidst weak and almost impalpable.

Sasuke then tried to feel her chakra.

It was so low that it was barely discernible.

"Shit."

That was when he knew that Sakura was in a very dangerous situation. Fear and uncertainty kicked in, and while he held Sakura in his arms, he looked around for any possible passerby that could help him.

No one.

'_What to do…? What to do…?'_

He was panicking and his mind was in a mess. Because of this, Sasuke took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down. Once he felt like he was calm enough, he lifted her up bridal style and looked around. The Uchiha compound was just a few blocks away and was considerably nearer compared to the hospital. If he chose the latter, she may not make it.

Pumping energy and chakra onto his legs, he ran as fast as he could towards his house, fervently hoping and praying that he was not too late. One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a shinobi is full chakra depletion, which can mean instant death. He didn't know _why _her chakra levels were so low, but that is unimportant as of the moment. Besides, he can just ask her later.

He pumped more chakra unto his legs so that he could run faster.

When he reached his house, he didn't even bother taking off his sandals and went directly to his bedroom. He gently placed Sakura on his bed and took off her scarf, her mittens, her boots and her coat. He covered her with his comforter and went to the fireplace to ignite it. He knew all Sakura needed was a very, very long rest, but he was somewhat afraid that things may not go as he had hoped. He had little to no experience on people with dangerously low chakra levels and he suffered it only once, but Orochimaru's goons tended to him and he was unconscious the entire time.

Silently, he grabbed a chair and placed it beside the bed then sat on it, watching Sakura's face as she slept. He placed a hand on her forehead and felt that she was still very cold, so he decided to go down to his dusty kitchen to prepare some warm water in a basin. While he filled the basin with water, he wondered if he should notify Naruto or Tsunade regarding Sakura's condition and predicament, but decided that he should put it off until later and tend to Sakura first.

After everything was ready, he went back up and placed the basin on his bedside table while occasionally looking at Sakura, scared that she might stop breathing. Submerging a towel on the basin, he felt the sting of hot water against his cold skin. With surprising gentleness, he squeezed the excess water out of the towel, began patting her face with it, then her arms, and stopped when he felt the warmth of the fireplace enveloping the entire room.

While he sat on the chair, he closed his eyes and tried to feel Sakura's chakra. It was still the same, around 10 percent or so and knew that she was still in the danger zone. Because of this, he made a decision: he should transfer some of his chakra until she can be considered stable. At times like these it would be good to call Naruto, but had a very strong gut feeling that it wasn't a good idea. Knowing Naruto, he might panic and may be more of a liability than of help.

And so, even if he was embarrassed to do it, he just went with his idea anyway. He slipped his hand around Sakura's and interlocked their fingers before closing his eyes.

Sasuke began to concentrate and tried to feel his chakra, at the same time he was wondering if he was doing the right thing. Later on, he began to transfer his chakra towards her, hoping that his plan would work and that she would recover one way or another.

* * *

><p>Sakura moaned as she opened her eyes. She felt as if her body was just run over by a bulldozer and every bone in her ached. The ringing in her head wasn't helping her one single bit, plus she could barely even move due to the discomfort and the pain.<p>

Unable to do anything else, her jade eyes scanned the surroundings and realized a few moments later that she wasn't in her room.

'_This room seems familiar…'_

She was still too weak to try to sit and stand up (much to her consternation). Instead, she slowly turned her head to the side and the view that welcomed her made her to temporarily stop breathing.

Sasuke's sleeping face was right beside her, his head resting on the bed while he was still sitting on the chair. She didn't know how he could sleep in such a difficult position and wondered if he was alright or not, but did not bother waking him for he seemed so…at peace. Her jade eyes slowly shifted and looked at something else, and the next sight made her blush so furiously that she was thankful that the Uchiha was asleep.

They were holding hands.

Once she was able to get a hold of herself, confusion and bewilderment began to kick in.

She was just walking and talking to Sasuke when…

Oh.

She lost consciousness.

She blinked. Once, twice, then thrice just for the hell of it. She was unable to believe that Uchiha Sasuke was the one who saved her. The one whom she least expected to help was the one who saved her life.

She looked unto the other side and found an extinguished fireplace. How long was she out exactly?

But even if her whole body ached, she felt very warm and comfortable. After a few more minutes of checking the surroundings and herself, she noticed that Sasuke, albeit asleep, was sending a steady flow of chakra towards her.

'_He's sending me his chakra to save me.'_

Sakura felt incredibly stupid and embarrassed for being in this position. Not only did Sasuke have to save her ass, but he also had to lend her his chakra. It was a negligent thing to do, depleting her chakra like that, but she was too caught up in her determination to forget Neji so she didn't even notice. Anyway, it was already too late, she already did it and she should thank Sasuke for saving her life.

Maybe…once he wakes up.

If she was her old, fan girl self she would've died right on the very spot. But no, right now she was a girl sporting a broken heart. Instead of feeling elated because of their current situation, she felt safe and comforted.

Sakura knew that she was stable enough thanks to Sasuke's chakra and that he didn't need to give her more, so she surreptitiously wiggled her hand off of his gentle grip making sure that she won't wake him up. She knew Sasuke was a light sleeper so she had to be extra cautious about it.

When she was finally free, she mustered all of her strength to sit up, which proved to be quite a task especially when you're trying to be quiet at the same time. A few tries later, she was finally successful in her attempt and gave Sasuke a fleeting glance.

'_He looks so innocent when he's asleep.' _Sakura thought with a small smile forming on her lips. Slowly but surely, she slipped out of the bed and ignored how her body reacted. She was still in pain and very weak, but she wanted to get some fresh air. And so, she put on Sasuke's large slippers and began walking with much difficulty across the room, sparing Sasuke a second glance before she closed the door.

* * *

><p>It only took around ten to twenty minutes for Sasuke to realize that his bed was now empty. As he began to stir from his uncomfortable sleep, his onyx eyes traveled towards the bed while he stretched his now sore back. Soon, he began looking around to try and find her. But he found no trace of the kunoichi.<p>

"Sakura?" His voice was hoarse but it was dosed with a little bit of alarm. "Sakura?"

Quickly standing up, he found Sakura's things sitting in a nearby sofa and sighed in relief. That means she is still inside the house.

Slipping on in his dad's old slippers he began to call out her name, his voice echoing in the dark, empty hallways of the Uchiha Manor.

"I'm right here!" Came a distant reply and Sasuke turned his head to the right.

"Where are you?" He repeated just to get another response so that he can trace her voice. He was getting irritated for reasons he did not know. Sure, he did not have a problem about getting little to no sleep but his body ached. Note to self: Do not sleep while sitting like that ever again.

"I'm in the kitchen." Sakura replied with a louder voice and Sasuke took a left turn to head towards the kitchens. Sure enough, the kitchen was lit and was the only source of light in the hallway. Inside, he saw her sitting alone in the table with her green jade eyes gazing intently at him. "You're awake." She greeted while smiling weakly.

"What the hell are you doing in here? It's cold." He groaned, scratching his nape while he stood by the door.

"Yeah it is." Sakura laughed wryly at his statement. It was then that the two became silent before Sakura let out a huff of breath to break the ice. "I'm sorry to have burdened you like this Sasuke…"

"You already did." Sasuke replied in a matter-of-fact tone, but his words didn't faze Sakura one single bit. After all, she had gotten used to his straightforward opinions _and _she was too hurt to even care. "But can you save me with the additional load by going back to bed and getting some rest? You're not stable enough."

He _had _to explain this much to her… and talking a lot served as something that was way off his comfort zone.

"I'm fine… I think it's you who should go back to bed." Sakura responded gently and looked on the table. The table was still quite dusty and Sakura amused herself by drawing some stick figures in the dust before looking up at Sasuke again.

Seeing that Sakura was being obstinate, Sasuke glared at her before he rolled his eyes and let out a loud grunt. Sakura's eyebrows both rose when he walked away, but her eyes widened when she heard a door sliding open and dull thud nearby.

'_What is he doing?'_

When he returned, she saw him carrying another large comforter. Even if it was clearly heavy, he was able to carry it with ease. But what worried Sakura was the reason _why _he was carrying a comforter while giving her a really nasty glare.

Sasuke now looked very irritated as he stood by the door, comforter in hand while glowering at her.

"What are you doing?" Sakura's body tensed.

"When I tell you to go back to bed…" Sasuke warned as he approached her. Sakura stood up, confused and extremely cautious before the Uchiha wrapped the comforter expertly (and very quickly) around her. "You go to bed."

It was like she was being encased in a large cocoon and Sakura, who was still too weak to fight him off, began protesting.

"Lemme go!" She exclaimed in her loudest voice and let out a yelp when Sasuke lifted her off her feet. "What—"Sasuke then heaved her over his right shoulder with surprising effortlessness and carried her comforter wrapped self back to the bedroom. "Sasuke! Put me down now!"

Sasuke, who felt like he had already said too much for the day, didn't respond and continued to walk. He was calm and composed despite Sakura's threats, wiggling and thrashing.

Once they were back inside the bedroom, Sasuke kicked the door shut and tossed Sakura on the bed making her yelp for the second time. Sakura was gazing at him with wide eyes and an appalled expression was plastered on her face.

"Why can't I get out of this—this thing?" She hissed while trying to wriggle free. Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose and sat down on his chair while he waited for Sakura to calm down. Once Sakura felt the toll of her efforts on her body, she stopped moving. "Sasuke, please, let me out of this…weird cocoon thing."

"I won't." Sasuke responded firmly as he crossed his arms and legs, his onyx eyes glaring at her. "Look at you, you're so weak you can't even get out…and you think you can handle yourself? Give me a break."

"Why do you even care anyway?" Was her sudden outburst, surprising Sasuke in the process. "You should've just left me alone to die and rot."

"Is that how you speak to the one who saved you?" Sasuke questioned, his eyes turning into slits. "Some grateful bitch you are."

Sakura winced at his choice of words but knew that he was right. As she was imprisoned in Sasuke's makeshift restraints, she began to think of reasons why Sasuke decided to save her. Meanwhile, Sasuke was thankful that she _finally _quieted down but was scrutinizing Sakura's contemplative expression.

Before he knew it, Sakura burst into tears. It was light at first until it transformed into deep, heavy sobs. Sasuke maintained his composure and did not say anything as he watched the kunoichi weep. And even underneath the thick cloth of the comforter, he knew that she was shaking.

Never has he seen Sakura look so vulnerable. He didn't know what to say, so he did the most intelligent thing: keep quiet. Instead, he waited for her to finish.

When she finally quieted down, Sasuke reached out to free her from the comforter/cocoon. When he was done, he sat back on his chair as Sakura tried to sit up on the bed. Once she was able to do so, she refused to look at Sasuke and chose to stare at the sheets underneath her instead.

"Sakura, I know it's none of my business but at least tell me what's wrong… you owe me that much." Sasuke murmured. "You suddenly…collapsed and your chakra levels were so low you almost _died_. And no offense, you look horrible."

Again, Sakura didn't say anything.

"Do I have to force it out of you?" He questioned and Sakura raised her head to look up at him.

"Thank you for saving me." She whispered, almost mouthed, as her lips formed a gloomy smile. Her smile did not reach her eyes though. "I thought you'd just let me stay there and die. I didn't expect for you to care. I owe you…big time." The kunoichi added with a weak, sardonic laugh. "And I'm sorry for what I said earlier on."

Sasuke's expression remained monotonous. "I didn't know you thought so low of me."

"Can you blame me?" Much to his exasperation, she didn't look away.

Sasuke knew that she had a point. She had a right thinking that way about him; after all, he had left her years ago regardless of her pleas to make him stay.

"No." was his final reply. "Well then." He urged on. "Since you owe me big time, could you at least tell me why you're acting like this and why you decided to go on an unlimited chakra spree?"

It took a few minutes before she could respond.

"Just promise me that you won't tell anyone." Sakura said. When Sasuke nodded, Sakura bit her lip before she continued.

"…And promise me you won't get mad at him. Or try to kill him. Or do something stupid."

Sasuke's eyebrows met.

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><p><strong>Read and Review! :)<strong>

**E.I.**


	4. Her heart: anguished

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>"Him?" Sasuke repeated as he leaned onto his chair with his arms crossed. Sakura was wary of telling him, uncertain of how he would react, and the thought of him thinking that her current predicament was something inconsequential and completely silly was not making her feel any better. Even now, she can hear an imaginary Sasuke yelling the words 'pathetic' and 'idiot' already.<p>

Because of her hesitation, she found herself unable to spill a single word. Sakura was hushed as she struggled, while he continued to stare at her with those strikingly black orbs.

There was just this look on Sasuke's face…that icy glare, those eyes that felt like it could see through your soul and his posture. To call his appearance 'intimidating' would be a complete understatement.

I guess that part of Sasuke has not changed yet.

'_Not to mention the blasted fact that I don't know what the hell he's thinking…'_

The two drowned themselves in silence while Sasuke continued to stare at the kunoichi that sat on his bed. It was blatantly obvious that she was having a hard time explaining things to him, especially when he is gazing at her with such intensity.

"There's no point lying to you anyway since you can sense it." Sakura bit her lower lip as she finally broke the ice. Sasuke's lips twitched.

"It's about Neji… isn't it?" Sasuke scowled, beating her to the chase and surprising Sakura in the process.

"Wha—"

"The way you speak the word 'him'. It's Neji."

Smart as always.

The two got into an awkward glaring contest, him staring at her while she was gaping at him. Sakura eventually gave up and let out a big sigh, then uncaringly flopped herself onto the soft bed. Sasuke continued to watch her, motionless and saw her inattentively trail a hand through the futon that lay in a messy heap beside her.

When he saw her reaction, Sasuke had to close his eyes and take in a deep breath. Why the hell was he so aggravated? Sure, he cared for Sakura the same way he cared for Naruto and the others, but his blood was f*** _boiling_. It was so bad that he had to take several deep breaths. What provoked him more was the reason _why _he was feeling this way. Is this merely frustration…?

…Or jealousy?

"What did he do to you Sakura?" He asked through gritted teeth, still concentrating on his breathing and temper with his eyes still closed.

"He…"

Sakura was practically choking on her words. The dam broke and tears began to pour from her eyes while she remembered the scene where Neji was kissing Tenten. Even when she was a spectator from afar, she could see him kissing her with such fervor, with passion…

With _love. _

And she sure as hell knew that she hasn't received that kind of kiss from Neji.

Not.

Even.

Once.

Damn, she felt like she was going to lose it…she hated being like this! So ridiculously vulnerable and weak! _'I wouldn't be surprised if Sasuke calls me useless any second now.' _Sakura thought solemnly as she tugged on the futon and let a part of it cover her face. After some time, Sasuke began hearing her muffled sobs.

Who knew that the man who caused her first heartbreak would now be the one to save her life _and _inquire her about her recent… failure?

Ah fate. How deviously twisted you are.

Meanwhile, the young Uchiha was still trying to come into terms with his own feelings, and later on was able to formulate a reason that he cared for Sakura like a sibling. And as a sibling, one would naturally be angry if someone hurt his/her sister and drive her to the point of unconscious suicide. _'Yeah right.' _A voice on the back of his mind said, which Sasuke chose to ignore.

"Sakura, calm down and tell me."

Sakura took a sharp intake of breath then pulled the futon that covered her face, exposing her red rimmed eyes. Sasuke was still 'meditating' but was fully attentive and still waiting patiently for her answer.

"He's seeing Tenten behind my back." She croaked.

Sasuke however, did not seem surprised.

* * *

><p>After finishing their meeting with Gai-sensei and Lee, Neji and Tenten were now heading their way back towards the town central to grab something to eat. The duo was silent during the entirety of their journey and Tenten had this contemplative expression on her face. It continued to be that way, until Tenten saw something from the corner of her eye that made her gasp loudly.<p>

"Neji-kun! LOOK OU-!" She suddenly screamed, but a large gigantic hand had already pushed her away. Neji was able to dodge it though, but his eyes widened when he saw her slamming against a line of trees, eventually creating a path of destruction.

"Tenten!" He roared and was about to jump to her aid but another hand was able to grab a hold of his body. "What the f—" The hand's grip was tight, making him unable to move. For them to be captured like this, the owner of this monstrous hands must be extremely quick…and strong.

_'What's going on?'_ He thought angrily as he continued to struggle. Whatever he did though was futile, because no matter how he squirmed or released any chakra the hand's grip did not loosen. "Tenten! Tenten! Are you alright?"

No answer.

_'Kuso!'_

"You should worry more about yourself, Hyuuga." An ominous voice sounded from afar and Neji's eyes widened.

Then he felt himself being thrown with immense force.

* * *

><p>Naruto was obviously bothered about Sakura. Sure, she did not need to talk to him every single day but there was something about her that made him worry. It was eating him up. Both he and Hinata are currently on a date, and Hinata is already finishing her first bowl of noodles but Naruto hardly touched his…which is already a miracle by his standards. He just sat there, poking through the noodles and soup with his wooden chopsticks.<p>

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said worriedly as she put her chopsticks down. "Please eat your food. You haven't been eating normally these past few days."

Naruto sighed as he looked at her.

"I'm just—Sakura-chan's so weird lately… and I heard from a staff that she's been overworking herself these past two days. I went to the hospital yesterday but she wasn't there, and she wasn't in her house either."

Hinata sighed. She was worried for Sakura too, but it clearly was in a completely different level with Naruto. The woman was practically like family to him and it just so happens that Sakura has this…tendency to burn the candle at both ends whenever something was bothering her. Speaking of, she has to speak to Neji about this.

"Did you check the Hokage Tower?" She asked, taking her chopsticks into her hand once again and digging onto her food.

Naruto numbly nodded as he watched her eat. "No sign of her either. But Tsunade-baachsan doesn't seem to know about all of this and I don't know whether I—"

BAM! BANG! BOOM!

They quickly whipped their heads and saw a cloud of dust and smoke forming on a distance, making it seem like someone had just been punched to the other side of the forest. Hinata and Naruto quickly took action and jumped off their chairs. When they exchanged nods, Naruto whipped out a bill and placed it on the table before they both went off to see what had caused the explosion.

"What do you think was that?" Hinata questioned in her usual gentle voice as she jumped from one large branch to another.

Naruto scowled.

"I have no idea but I feel like its some big trouble."

They landed on the scene a few minutes later where they immediately caught sight of an injured looking Neji lying in what seemed like remnants of a large tree. The tree had broken into half due to the impact, and the trees that once stood in front of him ended up with the same fate.

"Neji-san!" Hinata called out and ran to his aid. Neji emitted a few groans and looked like he was in a lot of pain, but he was able to sit up nonetheless. "What happened!"

"What the hell—" Naruto gasped as his cerulean eyes traced the path that had formed. "Who—"

"Tenten…" Neji whispered and took in a sharp intake of breath. The impact had blew off the air from his lungs and it was making his back ache like hell.

"Tenten? What happened to her?" Hinata inquired as she raised a hand atop Neji's chest. A soft glow of chakra emanated from her hand and after a few seconds, she heard Neji let out a relaxed breath. "Was she with you?"

"Sasuke-teme! Is that you?" Naruto suddenly blurted out which made the other two to look up at him in surprise. He knew this chakra, it felt very familiar and he also knew that he was one of the very few people who can do this much damage without batting an eyelash.

But the chakra disappeared as soon as it came, leaving all of them confused and befuddled.

Neji however, fell deep in thought. _Large hands…? Of course, it was Susanoo! No wonder the voice sounded so familiar …_

So that means Sasuke must know of his little traitorous stint. That or he simply lost his mind and decided to attack random people, which he sincerely doubted. _'Is he angry for what happened? I thought he didn't care about Sakura… I didn't even expect for Sakura to tell him…'_

"Neji, why the hell did Sasuke attack you?" Naruto asked, snapping him back to reality.

"Naruto-kun, he can't speak properly for the meantime. I think he crushed his lungs." Hinata suddenly spoke making Neji to look up to her in confusion. Hinata was gazing at him with a meaningful glance, before she mouthed to him a very discreet 'no'.

Ah, so Hinata realized it too. Naruto looked doubtful and didn't seem to be buying Hinata's explanation, but he kept quiet nonetheless. Neji let out a painfully deep sigh.

Boy, he was in so much trouble.

* * *

><p>At the Uchiha Manor.<p>

"Sasuke! What the _hell?_" Sakura screeched in her loudest voice as she slid the door shut behind them. Sasuke was thankful that her strength has not returned yet, or she may have destroyed the Shoji doors already. "I thought you promised me that you wouldn't do anything reckless!"

The screaming had siphoned the remaining energy off of Sakura forcing her to stop and start panting. Sasuke passed by the living room and went straight for the kitchens, while Sakura plopped herself on the living room floor.

She was exhausted… Again.

For a few minutes, Sakura listened to the sounds of the fridge opening, glass tinkering, water flowing and the shuffles of footsteps. Sasuke returned to the room two minutes later, a glass of cold water in hand. When he had arrived he saw Sakura looking very contemplative and he had to reawaken her by pressing the glass's cold surface against her cheek.

"Go back to bed." It did not sound like a suggestion, but more of an order. "You aren't strong enough yet."

"Go to hell." Sakura grumbled back, but took the glass of water nonetheless and began drinking.

"And I don't remember promising you _anything_." Sasuke added while completely ignoring her remark. "Just so you ought to know."

Sakura stopped drinking midway and looked up to him, one eyebrow raised. Sasuke returned the gesture.

'_Now that you mentioned it…'_

"Why Sasuke?" Sakura asked after lowering the glass and Sasuke, who was at the verge of exiting the living room, stopped dead in his tracks. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" He asked in return, pretending like he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Don't act all innocent Uchiha, that's so not you." He heard her sigh in exasperation.

'_Yeah Sasuke, WHY?' _His own mind questioned him and Sasuke pursed his lips in thought. His back was facing her, one hand lying atop the door frame and he stayed like that for a few more seconds. "You collapsed in front of me and it's not like I can just leave you there and die. I' m under probation and they may think I killed you." He quickly replied and left the living room without another word.

"That's now what—" Sakura retorted but found him already gone.

A wry smile slowly crept its way to her lips and she chuckled lightly.

"Men."

* * *

><p>Tenten was sent to the infirmary and Neji, careful not to make things too obvious, decided to just stay in the Hyuuga Manor and visit her once he gets some extensive rest. Thankfully, Hinata did not stay to investigate for she decided to accompany Naruto and visit the Uchiha Manor instead.<p>

'_This is all your fault Neji.' _The Hyuuga thought morosely as he lay in his large futon. _'You're a disgrace.'_

* * *

><p>"Sasuke! I'm coming in!" Naruto barked as they stood in front of the of the large shoji doors that served as the entrance to the once glorious Uchiha residence.<p>

"Naruto-kun—"Hinata said hesitantly and watched her boyfriend slamming the doors open. She had to cringe at the sound that it had created. "Please calm down—"

"What the hell do you want dobe?" Came a deep baritone voice making the couple to promptly look up. He saw Naruto already halfway through the entrance hall while Hinata remained by the doors. "Barging into other people's houses, don't you have any—"

"Why did you attack Neji?" He interjected, his expression completely serious. Sasuke eyebrows shot up while Hinata was as usual, quiet. "Answer me."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sasuke replied simply, but as expected, Naruto was skeptical.

"Don't play dumb with me, I know that was your chakra! I can tell even if you're miles away!" He insisted, and Sasuke resisted the urge to cringe. Naruto's voice was so loud that his ears were already ringing. He was also worried about the fact that Sakura was _finally _asleep back in his bedroom and waking her up may mean more headaches for him.

Speaking of the devil…

"What's all this ruckus about?" They heard Sakura speak from afar followed by a long, sleepy yawn.

'_Great.' _Sasuke thought sardonically.

Slowly, an ill and pale looking Sakura finally came into view and was groggily rubbing her eyes. What surprised them more was the fact that she was wearing one of Sasuke's old, navy blue t-shirts. But before he can ask her _why _she was wearing his clothes, he was interrupted by a very loud gasp from the blonde man in front of them.

When they saw her, Naruto's jaws dropped and Hinata's eyes widened to the size of saucers. Sasuke 's expression remained blank and monotonous.

"What—Sakura-chan?" Naruto pointed with his index finger, then looked at Sasuke, then back to Sakura. Hinata however, was at a loss for words.

"Go back to bed." Sasuke quickly ordered to her as though nothing was wrong with the entire situation. "It's just Naruto being noisy."

But at the sound of Naruto's name, Sakura perked up. That was when she finally saw the couple that was standing in front of them, her face showing complete bewilderment. "Naruto-kun… Hinata-chan…what are you two doing here?" She croaked.

Awkward silence.

"I can probably ask you the same thing, Sakura-chan." Hinata broke the ice two seconds later. She knew what was going on between Neji, Tenten and her…but she certainly did not expect _this. _And why is Sakura looking so sick? She looks like she's going to faint anytime now.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura, looking as though he was waiting for some sort of an indication from her.

"I was asking teme here why he attacked Neji." Naruto snapped out of his reverie and pointed Sasuke with his thumb.

Sakura's eyebrows rose.

"And why are you so sure that it's him who attacked Neji?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Then why are you so unfazed at hearing that your boyfriend was attacked?"

'_Snap.'_

Sakura bit her lower lip while Naruto's gaze remained on her. "I know you know that I can detect you and teme's chakra more than anyone else in the world. And I know Sasuke, no matter how much of a bastard he can be, can never attack someone without a proper reason."

Sakura looked away. Sasuke twitched.

"And I know you won't just be staying here in Sasuke's house AND wearing his clothes, looking like an ill person without any reason." The fox boy added. Hinata couldn't help but be amazed at Naruto's sense of logic, for it has improved immensely throughout the years. "So now, can someone _please _tell me what the f*** going on before I jump into unnecessary conclusions?"

Sakura looked up to Sasuke, who returned the gaze.

"Come in…" She said with a sigh and Naruto nodded. "I'll explain everything to you."

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><p><strong>E.I: It's a crappy post, but please bear with me. T.T I'm trying to juggle my time between work and making the story T.T<strong>

**But please do not let this stop you from reviewing, they really motivate me to continue the story!**

**Lady Sunleth: I store the stories in my archives, then post it. :D Sometimes when I have enough time, I type up my stories as if my life depended on it. XDD LOL**

**C:**


	5. Her heart: rested

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Thank you to those who read and reviewed! Especially to those who stay tuned for the next chappies :D I love you guys**

* * *

><p>It felt like it had took them forever just to reach the living room and while doing so, Sakura was racking her brain as to how she should explain things to her best friend. She knew that she has to be as subtle as possible, primarily because she didn't want for Naruto to go berserk <em>here <em>and eventually deal with two raging people instead_. _One is already enough, thank you very much. Not to mention the fact that she was fully aware as to how powerful Naruto and Sasuke are, and worst case scenario, she and Hinata will not be enough to stop the two of

'_I really don't want to tell Naruto.' _Sakura thought morosely as they began seating themselves. She sat beside Sasuke while Naruto sat beside Hinata.

'_**He deserves to know, baka. Besides, Sasuke's revenge wasn't enough. Naruto may be able to beat him into a pulp…which is reaaaally good.' **_Inner Sakura quickly replied and Sakura pursed her lips. It has been a long time since she heard her inner self and that surprised her a bit. _**'Of course you moron. You're like being all suicidal and depressed and I can't help you with that. I may even drive you to the point of insanity…which is not really an enticing idea to be honest.'**_

Sakura smiled dourly as she gazed at Naruto, who was looking back at her with curious eyes. _'Didn't know you could be so considerate.'_

Inner Sakura 'psshed'. Her jade orbs slowly found its way to Hinata who seemed like she wanted to tell her something. She raised an eyebrow to her, but the Hyuuga Heiress only shook her head.

"So can you explain what the hell's going on?" Naruto griped as he tried to make himself as comfortable as possible. "And Sakura-chan, what in the world happened to you? You look like you're going to collapse."

Yes, she was about to. "I'm okay Naruto-kun." She lied smoothly, accompanied by a very delicate smile. Sakura felt Sasuke's gaze on her but chose to ignore him while she fiddled with the hem of the Uchiha T-shirt that she was currently wearing.

So how should she start?

Everyone waited for her to speak and Sasuke was absentmindedly tapping his fingers on his lap, something that Sakura did not fail to notice. He was clearly getting irritated and Sakura was more than aware that he wants to get this thing over with.

But noooo…even after knowing this her tongue still won't budge.

'_Speak Sakura! Speak! Darn it!' _She fervently tried to convince herself while she shut her eyes tight.

Ten seconds passed…

and that was when Sasuke finally snapped.

"Neji's cheating on her." Sasuke finally beat her to the chase and Sakura's eyes popped open. "With Tenten."

Naruto's lips parted. Hinata tensed. "….what?"

Sakura's jaw dropped and she looked at Sasuke with an incredulous expression in her face while Naruto was still too busy trying to process the information. Hinata had her eyes on her boyfriend, her body tensed and ready to stop him if ever he goes on his 'angry' mode. After some time, Sasuke returned Sakura's gaze but instead of explaining his actions, he prodded his chin to Naruto's direction.

Sakura's eyebrows met as she looked at Naruto and found the Konoha savior gazing at her, his gaze asking for some sort of a confirmation. He and Sakura exchanged looks for a few minutes, until the kunoichi was snapped back to reality by a hard nudge from Sasuke.

Sakura gulped, before she gave him a very slow, hesitant nod.

POOF!

"Naruto-kun!" Both Sakura and Hinata chorused as the fox boy disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sakura automatically grabbed Sasuke's sleeve and he let out a grumble when she gave him a light pull.

"Why should I?" Sasuke retorted, obviously looking miffed. This thing was getting more and more troublesome with each passing second and it was irritating him to the core.

"You're the one who attacked Neji. If you didn't, we would've avoided this entire mess!" Sakura suddenly had a surge of strength as she screeched back at him, before slapping his arm twice, not caring if he would get angry or not. "Go and stop him!"

"Why the hell are you ordering me around?" He half-screamed, wincing at Sakura's slaps. Even if she was in a weak state, they still kinda hurt (but he would NEVER EVER admit it). "And stop slapping me woman!"

Sakura stopped and looked at him, which eventually turned into a glaring contest between the two of them. Hinata watched them for a full second, before clearing her throat and snapping both of them back to reality. There was a thick awkward atmosphere enveloping them and she certainly did not expect for the two to have this… sibling-like (or is it couple-like?) bicker.

It was then that Sakura instinctively did the biggest pout that Hinata had ever seen her do.

Hinata swore she saw Sasuke backing off a bit.

It only lasted a second though, but still.

"Fine! I'll go then!" Sakura declared as she raised both of her hands in the air. She was about to stand up when a hand grabbed her, eventually tugging her down and making her sit again. She looked up to Sasuke and found him pinching the bridge of his nose, but his right hand was wrapped around her thin wrist. She heard him letting out a deep sigh.

"Okay! Fine!" Sasuke finally said before he let go of her, then looked at Hinata. "You, watch over this…creature here while I'm gone."

Hinata didn't know whether she should scowl or laugh at the word 'creature', but before she can say anything regarding the matter, Sasuke was gone leaving the two girls alone in the living room.

When he left, Sakura and Hinata exchanged glances.

"Are you alright Sakura-chan?" She asked in her signature soft voice and scooted closer to her comrade. Sakura in turn gave a smile. A smile that did not reach her eyes.

"Should I answer that in a literal sense or not?" She replied and gulped. "Because either way Hinata-chan, I'm not."

Hinata frowned and then reached over to her, eventually engaging her in a scented embrace. She wanted to follow Naruto and help Sasuke, but she knew that the Uchiha was more than enough to handle her boyfriend. As of now, she has to stay with Sakura. "I'm so sorry to hear about this Sakura-chan… I apologize for Neji's foolhardy actions."

Sakura had to close her eyes at the comfort that Hinata's hug provided, practically because it was just what she really needed at the moment. When they separated, she looked at Hinata with both eyebrows raised. "By the way Hinata-chan, why don't you look surprised? I was expecting that you would be…like…"

"Like Naruto?" The heiress laughed lightly then continued. "No, I was already having suspicions back when the boys had returned."

"You mean back at the Ichiraku?" Sakura replied, genuinely surprised.

"Yes, everyone noticed. Except Naruto of course." Hinata smiled apologetically and wiped an imaginary tear from Sakura's face. She looked so worn out, so fatigued and so fragile…so farfetched from the glowing Sakura that she knew. "It was confirmed when they were attacked by Sasuke. I don't think the rookie nine would like to hear about this though."

Sakura sighed as Hinata retrieved her hand. The two were once again immersed in silence.

"By the way Sakura-chan, why did Sasuke do that?" She suddenly asked and tilted her head to the side. "I mean—"

"Yeah I know." Sakura laughed for the first time in days. It felt so darn good. "I'm trying to find out about that as well."

"Did you ask him about it?"

"Yeah I did. But he changed the subject."

Hinata's mouth formed into a thoughtful 'o'.

"I know." Sakura sighed and lay down on the floor. "I know."

* * *

><p>"Naruto!" Sasuke called out right after he appeared in the middle of the Hyuuga Estate. It appears that he had landed in one of the Estate's sand gardens but Naruto was nowhere in sight. However, he could hear his best friend from afar calling out Neji's name like a crazed banshee.<p>

"Uchiha-san! What in the world is going on!" Hiashi appeared behind and stood by the engawa, his face appalled and revolted. "This is intolerable! To come here barging—"

"YOU BASTARD!" Hiashi was eventually interrupted when they heard a loud screech wherein an equally loud crash followed a few seconds later. The two men in the garden turned on their heels and hastily followed the voice's source. When they finally located Naruto, they found a few other Hyuuga family members huddled in the corner while they watched the fight that was brewing in the middle of the Zen garden.

"How DARE you! I entrusted her to you!" Meanwhile, Neji was lying in a heap on the opposite side of the garden, his face sullen and his body unmoving. Sasuke had the impression that Naruto had thrown him from his futon.

"What is the meaning of this Uzumaki-san?" Hiashi barked and the people in front of them quickly cleared out to make way. Sasuke followed suit and silently went towards Naruto's side. Naruto however chose to ignore his presence and slapped Sasuke's hand away when his friend patted his shoulder.

"Ask HIM! For such an honorable family, that was a very shameful thing to do!" Naruto continued to scream and pointed Neji with his index finger. "Cheating on a woman!"

The last words made the other members gasp, including Hiashi. Then all their attention turned towards the other Hyuuga.

"Is this true Neji?" Hiashi asked, his face glowering and his white eyes wide in surprise. "Tell me."

Neji looked away and with this, the Hyuuga members gasped.

"Cheating on Godaime's apprentice!" One of the family members exclaimed. "Do you know what you've done?"

"Godaime's going to punish all of us!"

"Nonsense, she's only going to punish Neji!"

"Neji's dead. He's screwed man."

"SILENCE!" Hiashi roared and immediately, the other members snapped their mouths shut. Naruto was still seething and his body was shaking in anger, while Neji and Sasuke remained quiet. It was then that the head of the Hyuuga main branch turned his attention to his nephew, his expression cold and his eyes steely. "Neji, I am sure you know the consequences of your actions, though I am heavily disappointed with you. Bringing disgrace to this family, have you got no shame?"

Neji started to move and both Naruto and Sasuke tensed, but he just straightened himself up and made the ultimate bow of apology: kneeling down with his hands and his forehead touching the ground.

"I know what I did was unforgivable, but I am truly and sincerely sorry for my infantile actions." He said loudly so that everyone could hear. "Please Hiashi-sama, leave this matter to me and let me mend my mistakes alone."

Hiashi looked even more disgusted. "You better not make me do any drastic actions Neji."

"Yes Uncle."

And with that, he left. With his departure, the other family members followed suit until the only ones remaining were Neji, Naruto and Sasuke.

"Huh, don't think that because you just bowed and uttered fancy words that I would forgive you." Naruto spat while glaring at the Hyuuga who was now slowly standing up.

"I do not expect your forgiveness Naruto." Neji replied calmly. "But I am truly sorry."

"Let's go Naruto." Sasuke finally spoke and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. This time, he was glad that Naruto didn't slap his hand away. "You've done enough."

Naruto closed his eyes. Two seconds later, the two men disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

><p>After arriving in the Uchiha manor, they found that the house was quiet and they couldn't feel Hinata nor Sakura's presence inside. This realization gave Sasuke a light jolt but he remained calm as the two men walked towards the living room.<p>

"They're not here." Naruto said but Sasuke was already making his way towards the bedroom. "Oi teme wait up."

Once Sasuke swung the door open, he found his bed sheets neatly tucked in and his room immaculately clean as if no one has occupied it for days. The thought of Hinata or Sakura cleaning it made him raise both of his eyebrows and after stepping inside, the woman's clothes were gone as well.

"Where are they?" Naruto whispered. He was still angry, but at least he could control it now. But he knew that if he ever sees Neji again, the anger would reawaken and it would take all of his strength and willpower not to beat the crap out of the guy.

"She went home." Sasuke mumbled making the blonde man to look up where he saw him holding up what seemed like a note in his hand.

"By the way Sasuke." Naruto sighed deeply before resting his palms behind his head. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"I don't owe you any explanations dobe." Sasuke spat back, already fed up with having to talk too much as he crumpled the note in his hand. "So you can leave my house now."

"Geez, you're more of an asshole compared to before." The Kyuubi container winced, but deep inside he really didn't mind. "Okay, I won't force you to explain, Sakura-chan will tell me anyway."

'_I doubt it.' _Sasuke thought bitterly.

"But to be honest teme, you really didn't have the right to attack Neji like that."

With his statement, Sasuke suddenly felt a surge of anger for reasons that he cannot identify. Unconsciously, he began balling up his fists while he tried to keep his voice in its signature monotone. "What the hell do you mean?"

"Even if you care for Sakura…which I know you wouldn't admit even if you had a blade sticking on your neck…" Naruto's voice was casual and was blissfully unaware of the anger that laced Sasuke's voice. "Remember, you were the one who broke her first."

He couldn't even believe that of all people, Naruto was the one talking to him about this. Didn't he make it crystal clear to them that he didn't _care_?

And even if Sasuke wanted nothing more than to shut up and get this day over with, he found his lips moving. "I wasn't in a relationship with Sakura." He replied simply, his onyx orbs meeting cerulean. "And I didn't feed Sakura with lies, just like Neji. I made my goals and opinions clear to her."

Naruto pursed his lips, indicating that he had no more questions for him (which was a relief). Sasuke walked over to the sliding doors that led to the balcony and heard Naruto's footsteps.

"I'm going to go to Sakura's house, wanna come with?" He already knew what Sasuke's answer would be, but he decided to ask anyway just for the hell of it. "I want to check up on her."

"No."

Naruto shook his head and fell silent, until he looked up again. "But teme, even if you're like this… thank you for saving Sakura-chan."

"I didn't—"but before he can even defend himself, his best friend had teleported to Sakura's house, leaving small smoke remnants.

'_Damn it… what the hell are you doing Sasuke?' _He asked himself as he punched the wall beside him.

* * *

><p>After the boys left and their small chitchat, Sakura had asked Hinata to help her get changed and return to her house. She had already imposed herself enough towards the Uchiha and she hated it. <em>'And I'm supposed to hate him. Ah, f** it all.'<em>

'_**Whoever said that you're supposed to hate him?' **_Her inner self spat back and Sakura, now half asleep, shifted a bit in her bed.

'_I'm not really in the mood to talk to you now. So please, do me a favor and shut up.'_

Thankfully, her inner self decided to be obedient and shut her mouth leaving Sakura a quiet mind. She was now wearing her pajamas and tucked comfortably in her bed, while Hinata stood beside her, folding Sasuke's t-shirt neatly and placing it in the nearby study table.

"Why did you decide to wear Sasuke-san's t-shirt?" Hinata's soft voice broke the silence that resonated in the room, before grabbing a chair and seated herself beside the bed. Sakura's eyes remained closed. "It's weird."

"My clothes were dirty and I was beginning to smell." Sakura explained in a hoarse tone and Hinata smiled. "I had to. You know how OCD I am when it comes to bodily hygiene."

The heiress chuckled. "Yes and you admitted that it's quite troublesome especially with our…lifestyle."

Sakura smiled.

"Sleep Sakura-chan. I'll be here when you wake up." Hinata just couldn't find the courage to leave her. She was such in a dangerous state and she tried to convince Sakura to go to the hospital instead, but she blatantly refused. Hinata figured that she wanted to avoid Tsunade and she could sympathize with Sakura on that. The Godaime may scold her from earth to heaven and back.

"Mm. I owe you Hinata-chan. Big time."

Hinata's smile did not falter as she watched her friend slip from consciousness to dreamland all in a matter of a few seconds.

Two minutes passed and Hinata was amusing herself with a book when she heard a 'poof' from outside. She immediately recognized the chakra and she stood up then placed the book neatly on the chair. Silently, she went out and shut the door behind her before she saw Naruto walking up the stairs.

"Where is—"Naruto quieted down when Hinata pressed her index finger to her lips as she walked towards him. "Is she okay?" He whispered and Hinata placed both of her hands on his cheeks.

"What happened?" She questioned, curiosity glazing her eyes. "I do hope you didn't kill anyone."

Naruto let out a pout as he planted a butterfly kiss on his lover's lips. "No, I just threw him to the other side of the garden. Wasn't enough to be honest, but Hiashi-san and the other members were there so I couldn't… you know…I didn't want to destroy the estate."

Hinata cocked her head to the side. _'Naruto-kun has changed drastically….'_

While she was immersed in her thoughts, Naruto snaked his arms around Hinata's waist and crouched down a bit so that he could bury his head onto her shoulder. Hinata sighed and wrapped her arms around him as well and the two shared a very silent embrace.

"Calm down Naruto-kun. Sakura-chan's alright…she's resting." Hinata cooed, her fingers running through Naruto's tousled blonde hair making him calm down even more.

"That bastard." She heard his muffled growl as she felt his grip on her tighten. Hinata kept quiet after that and continued to hug him without uttering a single word of complaint. Naruto reveled in the momentary comfort, before pulled away, hurt evident in his handsome features. "I just can't believe…for someone like Neji to do this."

Hinata's smile turned sad. "I didn't expect this too."

"Is she inside?" Naruto asked and Hinata gave him a nod. Silently, he removed his arms from Hinata and held her hand instead, before the couple quietly went towards Sakura's bedroom. After Naruto had opened the door, he found the kunoichi sleeping comfortably in her bed, but her chakra levels…they were still too low and it hurt him.

"Sasuke seemed to have given her some chakra." Hinata told him as they went inside, before she shut the door behind her. Naruto walked to Sakura's bedside, removed the book and placed it on the study table, sat down on her chair and scooped Sakura's hand on his. He planted a kiss atop the back of Sakura's hand as Hinata leaned by the closet, her arms folded across her chest. "I can see his blue tinged chakra melting with hers."

Naruto grinned lopsidedly, his grip on Sakura's hand tightening. "He's weird like that. That hypocritical bastard."

"Do you know about what happened Naruto-kun?" Sakura didn't have enough strength to explain everything to her, so she figured Naruto would've squeezed the truth from Sasuke instead. However, she was slightly disappointed when Naruto shook his head.

"You know him."

'_Yeah.' _Hinata thought. _'Why did I even bother hoping…? Sasuke-san's definitely not the tattletale type.'_

"But this is quite unexpected, don't you think so?"

"The what?"

"Him helping her out. Her wearing his clothes. Him letting her stay in the manor. Her _actually _staying."

Naruto chuckled. "The more we pry onto the details, the more confused I get. So it's better if we ignore all of this…until Sakura-chan's strong enough to tell us. That or Ino can just blackmail her and let her tell us instead."

The two fell into silence when Sakura stirred and Naruto patted her head in an attempt to allay whatever was worrying her in her sleep.

Everything was quiet and well…

At least for now.

They were all unaware of the dangers that lay ahead…

Until they saw a sparrow land on Sakura's window, a note expertly rolled and attached to its leg. Naruto's eyebrows both rose as he let the sparrow in and once he removed the note, the bird flew away.

'_TO: Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Sakura and Tenten._

_Come to the Hokage headquarters immediately. You have been summoned by the Godaime.'_

Hinata was reading the note over Naruto's shoulder and after both of them were done, Naruto gulped.

"Do you think the granny knows?"

Hinata pursed her lips.

* * *

><p><strong>E.I: Read and review! :D No flamers please :D But if you have any suggestions, I'd be more than happy to entertain them ^^ Thank you in advance! Ciao!<strong>


	6. Her heart: stopping

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**READ! READ! READ!**

**I wasn't really that fond of the old chapter, so here is the new, rewritten one. I'm very sorry for that piece of s*** that I posted lol. Hope you guys enjoy! And keep those reviews coming! Thank you in advance!**

* * *

><p>After receiving and reading the note from Tsunade, both Hinata and Naruto were doused in uncomfortable silence. They were trying to figure out ways as to <em>how<em> the Hokage knew about this chaotic love affair and as to _what _she was going to do.

Or rather, what she was already doing.

They figured that Tsunade didn't do anything against the Hyuuga _yet_ because if there had been an explosion from the Hyuuga Mansion, they would've heard it. Tsunade wasn't the type to keep things discreet especially if it's unleashing her very infamous temper. And they couldn't really think of another way as to how the Hokage would take revenge against the Hyuuga, because her punch is enough to make any ninja, normal or not, cower in fear.

Fifteen minutes had passed and Hinata let out an intentional cough to break the ice, however, it was Naruto who decided to speak first.

"Screwed. We're screwed." Naruto grumbled while plopping himself back onto the wooden chair, before Hinata gave him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. He returned the loving gesture by placing his right hand atop hers. "I have no idea what that grandma is thinking…and if she knows or not."

Hinata had to agree, but kept silent nonetheless. Both of them were feeling the scary sense of ambiguity crawling through their veins...that fearsome, unwelcoming feeling of doubt and uncertainty. To be honest, this shouldn't a big deal in the first place, but the one they are dealing with was the epitome of woman power in the entire ninja world... their Hokage. And as much as they _loathed _Neji and Tenten at the moment, they didn't want them to end up on the other side of Tsunade's fist.

No one would.

"But we can't leave _now_. Sakura-chan's still sleeping." He urged on with an annoyed tone and ran his free hand through his forever tousled blonde hair.

Hinata perfectly understood Naruto's sentiments, for she too, did not want to interrupt Sakura's (recuperative) slumber. But is waking her up and making her attend the meeting the only way out?

They were contemplating about other possible solutions when Naruto suddenly jumped off of his seat along with a loud aggravating gasp, surprising Hinata in the process.

"Na-Naruto-kun?"

"Why are we even _afraid _of granny anyway?" Naruto sighed for the umpteenth time as he turned to gaze at Hinata, a lopsided grin gracing his handsome features. Hinata's smile turned from polite to shaky.

'_The only person who can insult Tsunade-sama is you, Naruto-kun. To us, she is a formidable leader that should be treated both with respect and admiration.' _She thought solemnly but was caught off guard when he suddenly grabbed her.

"Let's just go okay?" Naruto quickly took Hinata's hand in his, but stopped when he realized that his lover did not budge. He looked back at her and gave her a questioning look. "What? What's wrong?"

"Let's?" Hinata repeated while raising an eyebrow at him. "But Naruto-kun, _I _wasn't summoned."

But somehow, by the time that his grin grew wider Hinata felt a knot tightening across her stomach.

* * *

><p>A long (complete) line of curses could be heard within the walls of the massive but desolate Uchiha mansion as the current and only master of the house, Sasuke, stomped towards the exit. He was planning to keep himself cooped up in his man cave andor train, but _noooo _the Hokage had to summon him again for some reason.

When he had received the note, he immediately thought about his slapdash attack against Hyuuga Neji. But if ever the Hokage would demand an explanation (that is, if it's the actual reason for the summoning), Sasuke swore to himself that he would keep his mouth shut. He wasn't planning on explaining himself or saying anything especially if it's about the Sakura-Neji tiff, practically because after that ordeal, he felt like he already had let out a whole month's supply of words.

'_Whatever. Let's just get this thing over with.' _He rolled his eyes and slammed the door shut behind him, before jumping off to a nearby roof.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was able to reach the tower in a mere three minutes and once he got there, he realized that he was the only one lacking from the group. The atmosphere in the office was clouded with tension and insecurity, and truth be told, it was a little bit awkward too.<p>

Okay, not a little bit.

It was awkward as hell.

With an inaudible sigh, Sasuke entered the office and made his footsteps heavier than usual to announce his arrival. Sure enough, he was able to catch everyone's attention, including the Hokage's. However, nobody bothered to turn around to look at him, figuring that they were already too tense to do so. Sasuke didn't mind, practically because he was already way too preoccupied with the blonde woman's stare.

"Uchiha." She acknowledged with a venomous voice and a heated glare, making no reservations to let him know that she was not in the mood…at all. Hell, he could even see a sullen Shizune in the background with an apprehensive looking pi—_Tonton_ in her arms. With those expressions alone, Sasuke could tell that they already know about Neji's 'adventurous' stunt.

Sasuke gave her a curt nod in return before he situated himself between Naruto and the wall. He didn't want to be in any way near Neji and Tenten, so he opted to stand beside his blonde friend. And speaking of him, why is he tagging his girlfriend along? As far as he could remember, she wasn't summoned.

And of course, Sakura was absent too.

And the way Hinata and Naruto were gripping each other made him raise an eyebrow. He began to wonder if Hinata still had enough blood circulation in her hand, since it had turned from pale white to well, deathly white.(A.N.: L-R it's Neji, Tenten, Hinata, Naruto and Sasuke).

"Where is Sakura?" Tsunade's sharp voice cut the silence in the room but no one answered her. They were waiting for someone…_anyone _who had enough valor to answer her question.

Two seconds later, they heard Hinata clearing her throat. "She's currently doing an operation, Tsunade-sama, so I am afraid Sakura-san cannot attend this meeting. In relation to this, I came here as her sent representative."

She was able to lie so effortlessly that Sasuke was taken aback. The stuttering and awkward Hinata was completely gone, replaced by this confident albeit silent woman. For a moment or two Sasuke wondered what had initiated such a drastic change, but later on blamed it on puberty and maturity.

And of course, Tsunade looked skeptical and Sasuke wasn't surprised. Even if she was able to lie without batting an eyelash, he could still tell that she was not telling the truth.

Hmm…maybe that was the reason why he was tagged by Naruto as a 'moving lie detector'.

The Hokage spent a full five seconds just staring at Hinata and the atmosphere grew even tenser. With the state that _everything _was in, it felt like they were walking on radioactive, highly flammable egg shells. And the fact that it was only because of a love problem irked Sasuke a lot.

"I am disappointed." She started then stood up, but did not break her gaze. "Since when did you learn to lie, Hinata?"

Unfortunately enough, Hinata wasn't planning to go down without a fight. "I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama?" She questioned innocently, arousing curiosity and bewilderment from the other couple (aka Neji and Tenten).

'_What is she doing?' _Tenten thought but wisely kept her mouth shut.

"I am not in the mood to repeat myself, Hinata." Tsunade replied in a beat, her voice even but cautious. "Where is my student?" She asked again, enunciating each and every word to make her point.

Point taken.

In his peripheral vision, Sasuke saw Naruto slightly tugging Hinata's hand then began to exchange meaningful glances. If he had known better, he would've thought that Naruto and Hinata were actually conversing using just their eyes and pursed lips.

"She's resting, granny." Spoke Naruto to save his girlfriend from a possible wrath. "She's tired."

"Overworked, again?" Shizune murmured in the background, but was loud enough for everyone in the office to hear. "Where is she?"

"In her apartment, Shizune-san." Hinata replied solemnly then turned to gaze at the wooden floor boards underneath their feet.

"I presume it was chakra depletion again?" Tsunade interjected as she straightened up and placed her hands behind her, before she turned to look at the Konoha scenery through the massive glass divider that occupied the whole back portion of the office.

When the couple didn't respond, Tsunade took it as a 'yes'.

"Aa… doing it again." The Hokage mused and to Sasuke, her calmness wasn't anticipated. Neji and Tenten however, were too busy trying to look unaffected by the matter but deep inside their heart felt like it was going to rip out from their chest. "That idiot."

Sasuke was beginning to get irritated. So they called all of them out just to pry on Sakura's condition and whereabouts?

But it was as though the Hokage could read his mind.

"Anyway, I'm calling you here for a mission." She sighed but did not bother looking at them.

"Already?" whined Naruto, but she chose to ignore it…for now. Even though he somewhat was expecting for the reason to be like this, Sasuke still had to bite back a groan. He was _so _not in the mood for one, but he knew that he wasn't in any position to complain. The Hokage was already cutting him some slack by not executing him after that traitorous stint of his. Besides, on the upside maybe he can start fulfilling probationary requirements that the elders had put on him.

"The Kazekage asked for our help. Well, specifically _Naruto's _help." Tsunade rolled her eyes and the title Kazekage perked Naruto up. It has been a long while since he had last seen Gaara so catching up with him would be nice. "People began to disappear in their village…without a trace. And oddly enough, all of their investigations led to a dead end…

Silence.

…at the same time try and fix this damn situation of yours. And I'm referring to both of you, Hyuuga and Tenten."

Their eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"You knew?" Naruto blurted out and Tsunade shot him a glare.

"Of course, don't expect me to stay in the dark especially after Sasuke's attack on Neji. The ANBU reported to me."

Sasuke inwardly cursed for he had completely forgotten about the ANBU. And that would explain why he wasn't thrown into jail for attacking someone, especially since he's under probation. Tsunade _liked _his attack against the Hyuuga genius.

"Huh." Naruto huffed, but was inwardly relieved. Neji and Tenten however tried to sport monotonous gazes, but every inch of muscle in their body was tightly coiled…ready to spring just in case the Hokage decides to punch them or throw something...heavy.

"Anyway, before you head out drop by the station to get the file regarding this mission." Tsunade droned on in a tedious voice before making a 'shoo' hand gesture. "Now get out of my office before I'm enticed to actually throw something _heavy._ And mind you, I still consider this table to be very light."

With her warning, the group scurried out of the office in a hurry.

"Shizune." Tsunade called out to her assistant, who turned to look at her. "Tell Hinata that I'm giving her the responsibility of watching over Sakura…and if you have time, drop by the apartment too. The old grunts won't let me go for the meantime so I'm unable to visit her."

"Hai Tsunade-sama." Shizune nodded.

Tsunade let out a loud groan and impatiently tapped her fingers.

"And sake. Bring me lots and lots of sake. And don't even think of bringing up the paperwork topic, I was actually serious on my threat. Unless you want to buy me a new table."

"Sake, okay." Her assistant hurriedly nodded and went out of the office, Tonton still in her arms. "I'll be back, so don't throw anything!"

* * *

><p>Once they exited the office, Neji and Tenten wisely decided to take another direction and when they bid their adieus, no one bothered to reply. Not even Hinata, which was already saying something.<p>

In all honesty, Naruto was somewhat disheartened that Tsunade didn't attack Neji and also disheartened that they had to take care of this 'issue' of theirs while doing a mission at the same time. Missions are already complicated as it is, so having something else mixed onto it is an entirely different thing. But he knew he cannot do anything against it, because he wasn't the Hokage and he wasn't stupid enough to flare out his anger against the woman. He wasn't _that _stupid...to make Tsunade angrier than she already was is similar to having a death wish. She may hold a soft spot for him, but there are still limitations. And Naruto is fully aware of that.

And never _ever _anger a Sannin. He knew about that from his former mentor, Jiraiya, the hard way.

Bless the perverted sannin's soul, wherever he may be.

"Naruto-kun." Hinata's voice snapped him out of his trail of thoughts and immediately turned his blue orbs towards her. "Do you want to come with me to Sakura-chan's apartment? I have to feed her by six."

"Yeah, sure." Naruto quickly replied with no signs of hesitation at all. Flexing his neck a bit, he turned to gaze at his brooding raven haired friend. "Teme, wanna come with us?"

"No." Sasuke spat back in a beat, inwardly wondering why Naruto still bothered to ask him that question.

"Eh, suit yourself."

* * *

><p>The once red and orange painted sky was now completely covered in shades of blue and black, with winter snowflakes continuously pouring from up above. By the time that they had exited the tower, Konoha had already turned into a winter wonderland.<p>

Sasuke was still with Hinata and Naruto, for one can pass by Sakura's apartment on the way to the Uchiha compound. But he was careful to maintain a certain distance from the couple, who seem to be unconsciously exuding an aura that they needed some, well, space.

While walking, Sasuke watched Naruto and Hinata (still holding hands, mind you) engaging in idle chitchat, marveling at the surroundings or just gazing at each other, in no particular order. Watching them made Sasuke wonder how it would actually be like if he had a normal upbringing, with his family still alive and all. Hell, he would probably have a girlfriend already. He would be like Naruto and Hinata now, smiling and holding 'her' hand as if he cared of nothing else in this world.

But Sasuke quickly shook off and shut out those thoughts. _'Now's not the time to think about that.' _He scolded himself. Even though he wanted to rebuild his clan, rebuilding his mansion and maybe the compound came first. Or maybe the probation, he really wasn't sure.

"Bye teme." Naruto's voice brought him back to reality and Sasuke looked up. He didn't notice that they were already in the destined intersection.

"Please excuse us Sasuke-san." Hinata said in her timid voice and a smile. Sasuke however returned their bids with a nod then quietly continued his walk with his hands on his pockets.

He was around five to ten meters away from the intersection when Sasuke heard something that perked up his interest.

"Something's wrong Hinata-chan." Naruto's voice echoed throughout the deserted street and Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks. The way that caution was lacing his voice made Sasuke uneasy and for a moment thought if there was an attack or something. "Sakura-chan…"

"Let's go." Came Hinata's quick reply followed by a thud, which indicated that they had jumped off.

A mental debate began brewing up in Sasuke's head while he stood there, frozen on the spot. _'It isn't my business anymore.'_ He tried to persuade himself and repeated it like a mantra, but alas, even after all those efforts of convincing himself it seems like his legs had a mind of his own. Before he knew it, he was already making his way to Sakura's apartment.

Looking up, Sasuke saw that there were three lit windows in the building, including Sakura's. The sliding door that led to her bedroom was also open, so he figured that Naruto and Hinata had gone through that route instead. When he was near enough he could already hear their voices.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out repeatedly and his brows began to furrow. "Wake up!"

'_Wake up? Is she dead?'_

"Please stop Naruto-kun!" Hinata's voice rang out. "Please! You're hurting her!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth and jumped up, before he gracefully and quietly landed on the terrace. That was when he caught sight of the couple behind the thin white curtain that was flowing along with the cold winter wind. Even if they were former teammates and friends, Sasuke had never been able to step inside Sakura's bedroom for obvious reasons. The area was about half the size of his bedroom and it consisted of a full length mirror, a bed, a slightly large closet and a table.

"What happened?" He demanded and his baritone voice caught them off guard. Sasuke entered the bedroom and slid the door shut before letting his onyx orbs land on the sleeping woman on the bed.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, an unconscious Sakura on his arms. He was holding her up so she was practically leaning on his strength, her head a little bit hung back and her arms limp. When he was near enough to her he finally realized why Naruto was freaking out so much.

Her chakra was moving so languidly that one would think that she was at the brink of dying.

"Hospital." Was the only word that came out of his mouth.

Naruto and Hinata couldn't help but agree.

* * *

><p>The trio made their way to the hospital and was able to reach their destination in two full minutes. After bursting through the emergency room, the medical team was quick to respond and quickly whisked Sakura from Naruto's arms to transfer her to an available stretcher.<p>

"What happened Naruto-dono?" A medic, a man in his late thirties asked while he hurriedly was assembling a new chart.

"Severe chakra depletion, coma." Was Hinata's alert reply and for the next few minutes the two began talking to each other in a fast pace. So much medical jargon was used until such time that the only words that Naruto could understand were so, and, body, chakra and coma.

So instead of giving himself a headache, Naruto preoccupied himself by craning his neck, clearly attempting to get a glimpse of his best friend.

"Even if you break your neck." Sasuke commented idly with a sigh. "You won't see her. The curtain's drawn baka."

True enough, the medics had already closed in the curtains around the stretcher so all they could see were silhouettes. But at least they could also hear their voices and the sounds of their work, which made it easier to imagine what was actually happening behind those green sheets.

Naruto frowned. "Snappy bastard." He grumbled under his breath then began walking towards the nearby bench which was propped up against the wall and beside the hospital entrance. For a moment or two he looked like a sulking kid. Sasuke followed suit, minus the intentional heavy dropping of himself and the childish pout.

"But she was able to awaken before, because Sasuke-san had allocated her some of his chakra so her conservation alarm was a little bit delayed… right Sasuke-san?" Hinata asked and Sasuke looked up. He saw both Hinata and the medic gazing at his direction, but he was too immersed in his thoughts to even hear the actual question.

"I'm sorry what?" He blurted out, surprised.

"You gave her some chakra?" She repeated and Sasuke slowly returned a nod.

The medic gazed at Sasuke, who in turn stared back. Even if giving Sakura was highly uncharacteristic of him, he knew full well that Hinata wasn't going to joke around with matters like these. And Sakura's life was on the line, so it really wasn't the ideal time to lie or make jokes about it either.

"We'll do our best. For the meantime, can you please head to the nurse's station Hinata-dono? You need to fill up some forms." The medic said and Hinata nodded. She turned to Naruto, who nodded back to her before she proceeded to the nearby nurse's station. The medic however went the opposite direction to lend a helping hand to the team that was looking after Sakura. Now, they can overhear other team members blurting out 'call Tsunade-sama' a few times.

Naruto leaned onto his chair and ignored the giggles of the onlookers, more specifically the female medics. He closed his eyes and let out a long, deep sigh.

"I didn't know Sakura-chan had suicidal tendencies." He remarked with a snort. "This is…ridiculous."

"But this isn't the first time." Sasuke commented with his eyes closed.

"I know, I heard Tsunade-sama. Hinata-chan told me about it too…but isn't this going way too far?" Naruto rolled his eyes. "I want to kill Neji."

"He may be the trigger." Sasuke said half a second later. "But right now, this is Sakura's fault."

Naruto was quick to react. "What the _hell _teme? Why're you siding with him?" He barked, looking offended with his angry cerulean eyes fully trained on him.

"I don't mean it that way." Sasuke defended instantaneously but kept himself as cool as a cucumber. "What I am trying to say is that it was Sakura's decision to go on a chakra spree. She should've chosen a more, healthier way of venting out her emotions."

And there goes a two months supply of words. Fortunately for him, Naruto shut his mouth and decided to brood over his statement instead.

But the blissful silence did not last long.

"Stop fidgeting dammit!" He suddenly yelled out, surprising Sasuke with his outburst. "It's contagious!"

Sasuke made a face. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You're damn fidgeting! Stay still!" Naruto spat back and their flare-up caught a new group of onlookers, but they ignored them of course.

"I'm—"He was about to defend himself again when a medic's voice cut him mid sentence.

"We're transferring the patient to the ICU!" He said aloud and both he and Naruto looked up. After that, the curtains were drawn back in a snap and the sight that welcomed them pushed Naruto to the brink of tears.

Tubes, machines, oxygen masks, IV fluids… it was indeed a frightening sight.

"Sakura-chan." The kyuubi container desperately called out as he began to stand. Sasuke however didn't seem to have the energy to move and continued to sit, still as a ghost in the bench.

But as soon as Naruto took a step forward, Hinata made her appearance, chart in tow. The medics rolled out the stretcher and turned on a corner, eventually disappearing from view. That was when the blonde turned his attention to his girlfriend.

"Why is she being transferred to the ICU Hinata-chan? Is it that bad?" Naruto asked and Hinata spared Sasuke a glance, before looking back to the person in front of her.

"Since this is the second time that her chakra was almost completely depleted, her body is having a hard time recuperating. Her chakra level as of now is five percent."

Naruto's jaw dropped.

'_Five.' _The Uchiha survivor repeated in his head. So how in the world is she still alive and breathing?

"Out of my way!" A new voice sounded throughout the hospital and they turned to look at the speaker. An angry Tsunade was hastily making her way through the hallway with Shizune following behind her. Once the duo reached them Hinata wordlessly handed the chart and the Hokage, who ignored the two men completely, began flipping through the pages like a madman.

"Five. ICU." Hinata suddenly voiced out and Sasuke heard the blonde woman swear under her breath. She reeked of alcohol, so he presumed that she had drowned herself in sake after the meeting.

Tsunade tossed the chart to Shizune who flawlessly caught it then faced Hinata. "Let's go, we have lots of work to do you. You two (points at Naruto and Sasuke) I'll let Hinata inform you when you're going to visit. So you may leave now."

"Baachan, is she going to be okay?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"To be honest Naruto." Tsunade's back was facing them and gave a sideways glance towards him. "I'm not sure, but I'll try my best to save that one hell of a stubborn idiot."

With that, the three went off (Hinata politely excused herself though).

"Oh God." Naruto said gruffly as he plopped himself next to Sasuke again before crouching over to bury his face into his hands.

Sasuke looked calm and composed, but deep inside he was desperately trying to find his voice.

"I'm leaving." Were the first two words that came out of his mouth and Naruto's head whipped up.

"_What?" _He asked in a hiss, daring for Sasuke to say it again. Sasuke stood up but Naruto did not tear his eyes away from him. _"NOW?"_

"Yes, Naruto, now. Problem?" He questioned in a droning voice then slid his hands in his pockets again.

"But where?"

"House." Sasuke replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. With his answer, he turned on his heel and began walking away only to be stopped again by Naruto's whimper.

"But what about Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke pursed his lips and flexed his neck as though his mother had just told him to do something for the 100th time.

"You heard the Hokage." He replied coldly and shot him a glare. ".leave."

Naruto tried to call out his name again a few times but Sasuke did not bother stopping or looking back. When he was fully out of the hospital and out of view, Naruto let out a cry of despair and dropped himself back at the bench for the umpteenth time.

"What the hell is wrong with everybody?"

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><p><strong>Read and Review! No flamers allowed!<strong>

**Ethereal Infernia**


	7. Her heart: warmed

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did. But no…just…no.**

* * *

><p>Four days had passed since Sakura's chakra induced suicide episode and news spread like wildfire across Konoha. However, it is not the news that you are expecting, rather, it is only regarding the fact that Sakura had collapsed out of over exhaustion. Why you ask? Well, much to Naruto and a few others' disparagement (who knew about the <em>real <em>situation), the Hokage had asked, more like _commanded,_ them to keep Sakura and Neji's affair behind closed doors. Naruto, unable to comprehend the logic behind her decision, went to the tower and confronted Konoha's leader but her words had stopped him from his relentless banter almost instantly

_**Flashback**_

_"Baa-chan!" Naruto called out as he stomped towards the office before the Hokage, drowning behind a stack of papers, looked up with surprise in her features. "What's this about keeping mum? I don't get it! Neji should get his ass kicked!"_

_Tsunade pursed her lips. Deep inside, she was thankful that Naruto had given her short-lived amusement from her mind-numbing work, but since Shizune was there watching over her like a hawk she had no choice but to try look irritated "Please tell me you had a better reason for barging into my office than asking about that."_

"_Why didn't you gain revenge huh? I thought Sakura-chan meant a lot to you too! Why are you so lenient with him!" He said stubbornly and slammed his hands on her desk, making the stack of papers waver precariously. Even Shizune took a step forward with her hands up, ready to catch the sheets if ever they fell. Tsunade however remained unfazed._

"_There's no use pulling down the whole family just for a love that had gone wrong." She started, but the truth in her words were obvious and evident. Naruto knew. "Think about Hinata, her family. Do you think it's only Neji who would drown in this problem Naruto?"_

_**End of Flashback**_

In the end, Naruto couldn't talk back to Tsunade especially after bringing up Hinata like that. Damn, the old hag knew how to shut him up. But he knew that she had a good point. Whether he liked it or not, the whole Hyuuga name will always be attached to Neji especially because he's the family's genius. And besides, he's not the type to be…let's say, audacious in the first place. He didn't know how the rumors would morph and end up.

So Naruto kept his mouth shut as well as the handful of people who knew (this includes Ino, who became berserk and wanted to kill Neji, but Shikamaru stopped her, thankfully). Instead of wallowing up their hatred and intense fury against the genius, they spent their energy taking care of Sakura. He and Hinata visited her every single day, not just because the latter was assigned to be her official care taker, but because they were intensely worried for her welfare.

Sasuke however, was nowhere in sight. Not even once has the hospital been graced by his presence after the day that they had rushed the kunoichi to the emergency room. Naruto didn't question his best friend regarding his actions, since the Uchiha survivor made it perfectly clear to him that he didn't want to involve himself any further on the Neji-Sakura-Tenten tiff. It was ridiculous, he said, before walking away to God knows where. Even if Naruto was known for being incredibly obdurate, he knew his limits and he knew when to stop.

However, on the fifth day, Naruto was on his way to the hospital when Tsunade's messenger sparrow caught his attention. _'Kuso' _he thought glumly and eyed the two plastic bags on his hand. One contained fruits which were for Sakura and the other, containing instant ramen for himself.

'_Hinata-chan's waiting for the fruits...' _He thought and bit his lip.

However, as if Kami-sama had heard of his prayer, Naruto caught sight of a tall and handsome raven haired man walking towards his direction.

His reaction was instantaneous.

"OIIII! TEMEEE! OVER HERE!"

He saw Sasuke flinch as he (loudly) called out his name but Naruto retained his wide grin. Hell, he wouldn't even care if half of Konoha heard his scream. Sasuke pulled his gaze away from the ground and looked towards him, before an annoyed expression began to cross his elegant features.

Naruto sprinted towards him then held up the bag full of fruits.

"Uh, no thank you." Sasuke said flatly.

"It's not for you." Naruto rolled his eyes. "Old lady's calling me and I think it'll take a while…and Hinata-chan's waiting for this so can you please carry this to the hospital? You can just put it in a table inside Sakura-chan's room."

Sasuke's frown deepened. "Get someone to do that errand for you. I'm busy."

"Busy with what?" His reply came in a beat. "Training? Come on, it'll only take ten minutes max."

The sparrow up above cawed in response.

"Okay, you know what? Whatever. I don't get why I'm still asking for your permission." Naruto grumbled as he practically shoved the bag into his best friend's unwilling arms. "I'm counting on you teme! See ya!"

"Hold on! Wait—Naru-"and poof! The Kyuubi container was gone. "…to."

Sasuke stood there, frozen for a few seconds with the bag messily wrapped around his arms and a bewildered gaze on his features.

But the stunned gaze did not last long, for it was replaced by an angry expression and a multitude of curses began crawling their way out of his lips. Sasuke begrudgingly transferred the bag into his right hand and ran the other through his black tresses.

'_I'm going to kill him.' _He said before turning to the left and headed off towards the Konoha hospital.

* * *

><p>Sasuke reached the hospital in two minutes, eager to get this thing over with and return to the mansion. It was still midday but he had been up since 5 am to train. Getting a good shower and a new change of clothing was first on his to do list for today, until Naruto came that is.<p>

'_Table.' _He echoed in his thoughts as he went down the hallway, ignoring the giggles and stolen glances of the females that passed by him. He found it odd that even though he had become an S Class traitor slash criminal, these girls still wanted to get into his 'good' side.

Guess women _ar_e weird after all.

"Miss." He said in his signature baritone voice as the brown haired female medic, who was staring stupidly in mid air while seated inside the station, was roused from her stupor. She looked up to Sasuke and gazed at him through her thick eyeglasses, only to have her mouth open a bit in shock. He pretended not to notice. "Where's Haruno Sakura's room?"

She eyed the bag of fruits on his hand then with agonizing and exaggerated slowness, raised her hand to point the room at the end of the corridor.

"Hn." He nodded to her as his form of thank you then walked away, leaving her in a daze.

Sasuke hastily made his way to the room but made little to no sound and gently slid the door open. He was met with the sound of machines beeping, a steady rhythm of Sakura's breathing and the sickly smell of anesthetics.

However, despite all of these, his gaze immediately zeroed onto the kunoichi that was lying on the bed with an oxygen mask in her face.

Sasuke had never seen her look so pale.

He shook his head and snapped himself out of his reverie before he trotted towards the other side of the room, where an empty table was situated against the wall. He was intending to bolt out as soon as the bag touches the wooden surface, but stopped midway when he heard a slight sound from behind.

_Movement._

Sasuke turned around.

Onyx met Jade.

* * *

><p>"You called for me?" Naruto asked while entering the Hokage's office. However, unlike last time Tsunade wasn't buried in a stack of paperwork but was looking rather pensive while seated behind her desk.<p>

"How's she?"

"Shouldn't you know better about her condition than me?" He spat back in an instant, but a coy grin was lacing his lips. "You look so worried, what's up baachan?" Then his face instantly went serious. "Is there something wrong with Sakura-chan's condition?"

"No." She replied simply. "Just an opener."

Naruto made a face.

"Then…?"

"It's an update, for the mission actually." Tsunade continued and leaned onto her chair. "I'm adding Hinata to the team."

She was expecting for Naruto to jump up and down in happiness, but surprisingly he did not move an inch and his expression turned serious instead.

"Why?"

"Why?" Tsunade echoed with bewilderment. "Aren't you happy? I'm adding Hinata to the team."

"But why baa-chan?" Naruto questioned with confusion evident in his tone. "Why so suddenly?"

"I want someone to serve as a buffer." She replied in a clipped tone. "It's split between you, Sasuke and Sakura against Neji and Tenten. Even if Hinata doesn't like what is happening, at least she can still put you in check. I don't think Sasuke's willing to stop you while you go berserk on Neji, nor does Sakura have enough energy to do so."

It made sense though. Hinata would still try to stop him even if she didn't like Neji.

"Are you sure about this?" He let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I know you don't like the thought of Hinata being in the line of danger and all of that. But remember Naruto, she's a very capable shinobi. And I know you're going to protect her if something may happen. Besides, Sakura's still injured…" Tsunade's voice faded with the last word. "So having a back up medic would be practical for your team."

Silence filled the room.

"One more thing baa-chan."

"What?"

"Why are you talking to me about this?" Naruto asked with one eyebrow raised. "I thought Neji was the leader of our team."

Tsunade made the 'tch' sound. "Do I _look _like I want to talk to him at the moment?"

"…Err…well…no." Naruto's smile became goofy and crooked. "But the bastard deserves a little does of hell to be honest."

His words made Tsunade huff.

"Little? I think not."

Naruto's eyebrows rose in unison. "You're siding with Neji?"

"No." She replied instantly, looking offended. "That bastard deserves the full does of hell and back."

The Kyuubi container smirked.

* * *

><p>"Sasuke." She croaked out from underneath the oxygen mask.<p>

With the bag still in his hand and suspended in mid air, he watched Sakura as she slowly raised her arms and removed the oxygen mask from her face, letting it hang by her neck instead. The pink haired kunoichi closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths, before looking back to Sasuke once again.

"Wow." She said and her eyes bore onto the plastic bag that he held. "Thank…you."

"It's from Naruto." Was his mechanically quick reply then placed it down on the table. He then walked to her bed side and pressed the call button which lay near the headboard. When he retrieved his hand and looked down on her, he unconsciously took in a sharp breath.

She looked even worse up close.

Her skin was ghostly pale and her lips were in the same color, her cheeks began to cave in and her eyes were dull and tired. There were also obvious marks around her lips which indicated as to where the oxygen mask once rested.

"Naruto huh." Sakura said feebly while she gave the bag a fleeting glance. "And I…was beginning…to think that pigs…could now fly."

Sasuke twitched.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" Hinata's voice echoed through the hallway as she slammed the doors open, chart on one hand and gasping for air. She whipped up her head and saw Uchiha Sasuke standing by the bed, his hands on his pockets and a blank gaze on his face. Sakura however was looking at her, smiling. "You're awake!"

"Hi Hinata-chan." Sakura greeted, her smile widening. "You…look…tired."

Hinata bit her lower lip as she flung her arms around her friend, engaging her in a warm, welcoming embrace. "I'm so glad! We were so worried about you!"

The kunoichi raised her arms and patted her back. "Relax…Hinata-chan… I'm okay."

The Uchiha rolled his eyes. _'You can barely even speak.'_

Hinata let go of her soon thereafter and looked at her friend within an arm's length. Tears were threatening to form in her eyes and her smile was soft and relieved. "Kami-sama. I'm so glad you're okay."

"Sorry for…making…you worry." Sakura chuckled but it came out as a cough instead. Hinata let go of her completely and straightened herself up. "How long…was I out?"

"Five days." The heiress replied then caught sight of the plastic bag on the table. "Oh, Sasuke-san, did Naruto…?"

Sasuke nodded. Hinata's smile turned apologetic.

"Oh my, I apologize for imposing on you." She said. "What happened to him?"

"He got called by the Hokage." The Uchiha replied smoothly then gave Sakura a fleeting glance. "If there's nothing else, I'm taking my leave."

Hinata nodded. She knew better than to stop Sasuke from leaving. The man was as stubborn as Naruto himself. "I see. Thank you for bringing the fruits."

With that, the Uchiha began to make his way out of the room but a sound and a blast of familiar chakra stopped him on his tracks.

**TAP TAP TAP TAP**

Sakura closed her eyes and smiled. She knew the sounds of the footsteps and the chakra, which came from the years that she had gotten to know the person.

The doors slammed open.

"EH? Sasuke-teme? You're still here?" Naruto asked in disbelief when he saw the tall man blocking his path. Snapping out of the momentary distraction, he peeked above Sasuke's shoulder and saw Sakura smiling at him. "Sakura-chan!"

Sasuke sighed as he took a step back to let Naruto enter.

"Naruto—"Sakura began to speak, but her vision was immediately engulfed by yellow.

"Naruto-kun! Relax! You're going to—"Before Hinata could even finish what she was saying, another force had ripped the blonde off the kunoichi.

"Hey! What gives!" Naruto hollered as he tried to regain his balance before his gaze zeroed on Sasuke. "What the hell Sasuke?"

Sakura was just as surprised as Naruto was.

"Baka." Sasuke scolded, with his tone unequal to the blank gaze that he held. "At that rate, you're only going to kill her."

"My, my. Getting along well aren't we?" Another voice interjected and everyone looked at the window where they saw Kakashi crouching over, an orange book on hand. "Makes me feel all fuzzy and nostalgic." It was then his only eye looked at Sakura. "Glad to see you all perky and alive Sakura."

"Good to see… you too… sensei." Sakura spat back in her hoarse voice and smirked. "You're late."

"Am I?" Kakashi chimed then hopped onto the room, glancing towards Naruto and Sasuke. "If you ask me, I think I arrived just on time. Hi Hinata-san."

"Kakashi-sensei." Hinata greeted warmly and chuckled at Naruto. "Naruto-kun, Sasuke-san's right. Your hug was too tight."

"Nonsense." Sakura defended, which made Naruto grin. Inwardly, the thought of having these people around her was making her melt with happiness. Then she closed her eyes and exhaled.

"Sakura-chan, are you okay?" Naruto inquired, his voice as soft as feathers as he walked towards her side. Sakura smiled at the warmth that engulfed her right hand.

"Let us give her some time to rest Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan's still tired." Hinata gently reminded him while placing a hand on his shoulder. "We can return at a later time."

"Hai." He sighed and nodded, before letting go of Sakura's hand. "We'll be back Sakura-chan."

"Mm." Sakura nodded without opening her eyes.

"Let's go everyone." Hinata beckoned to the three tall men as they stepped out of the room. When the door closed, Sakura was once again doused in silence.

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><p><strong>E.I: Thank you for reading! Reviews are very much appreciated! No flamers allowed. :) <strong>


	8. Her heart: letting go

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>It took Sakura another two days before she was well enough and had the adequate energy to do normal day to day activities. To aid her recovery, Tsunade had banned her from the hospital and secretly ordered her friends to keep a close watch on her as a safety precaution.<p>

Everyone was happy to hear about Sakura's recuperation, even Neji and Tenten who had recently been alienated from the rookie nine.

When she finally had the chance to visit the Hokage tower, Tsunade informed her regarding her new mission in Suna which she enthusiastically accepted. But when she was informed regarding the _other _mission, her expression soured. However, Tsunade was thankful that she did not change her direction and/or go on a deadly rampage.

* * *

><p>Konohagakure, 4:30 AM.<p>

The whole village was still covered in snow and darkness by the time Sakura had stepped out of her apartment, her trusty backpack hoisted on her back and a long dirty white cloak covering her usual red and black ninja ensembles. After closing the door, she double checked her hidden pockets and some parts of her body for strategically hidden weapons before she let out an irritated huff of breath.

'_I'm going on a mission with Neji AND Sasuke. Kami-sama…give me the strength.' _She thought wistfully and patted her cloak for nonexistent dust. _'If chakra depletion didn't kill me, then this mission certainly will.'_

The pink haired kunoichi then exhaled and took one step forward.

Then another…

…followed by another one.

Soon enough, she was making her way towards the grand gates of the village which was their assigned meeting spot.

As she neared her destination she immediately caught sight of two people that were conversing near the checkpoint station, but once she saw Hinata and Naruto a few meters away from them she breathed a sigh of relief.

She _really_ didn't want to be stuck waiting with Neji and Tenten. That would be awkward from root point to eternity.

"Sakura-chan, good morning!" Naruto waved happily after he caught sight of her approaching. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright. Still kind of sleepy." She dismissed gently with a light wave. She saw from her peripheral vision that Neji and Tenten had spared her a glance but she did not return the gesture, for obvious reasons.

She just wasn't ready to talk to them.

"Good morning Hinata-chan. I'm glad that shishou decided to add you into our team." Sakura added then her smile turned sheepish. "And I'm sure I'm not the only one who's happy."

The couple blushed.

"Aww you're blushing." She teased even further then leaned back and laughed. Damn, it felt good. "But anyway… Naruto, I need to talk to you about something."

Naruto's eyebrow rose as he pointed a spot nearby with his index finger. "Do you want to speak privately… or…?"

"No, no. Hinata-chan can listen. It's not that secret anyway."

"Oh okay, what is it then?"

Sakura clapped her hands on Naruto's shoulder and the gesture definitely caught him off guard.

"Wha—Sakura-c—"

"Promise me something." Sakura said menacingly.

"De-Depends on the promise." He replied, obviously trying to make a stand for himself.

"This is a mission. Right?"

He nodded slowly.

"So I want you to _please _be professional." She said then retrieved her hands and placed it on her own hips. "He is our team leader, she is our teammate. This is my problem, so I will settle this matter on my own. You hear me?"

The blonde fell silent before he gulped noisily. "Well…Sakura-chan…don't punch me but…"

"But what?"

"If you can settle this on your own." Naruto bit his lip then looked up to her. "Then you shouldn't have had tried to 'unconsciously' kill yourself." He added with finger quotes.

Sakura was clearly taken aback by his straightforward statement while Hinata continued to remain mum as she watched the entire situation unfold. Neji and Tenten however were already finished talking and were now listening to their conversation from afar.

"But yeah, I'll do my best not to sabotage the mission by not killing our leader." His grin grew lopsided and it made Sakura relax a bit. Neji tensed. "However, I cannot promise you that. I don't want you to get hurt again Sakura-chan…and you know that."

And Naruto said all of that with a straight face. God, Sakura would've already melted underneath those blue orbs of his and the sincerity that laced his voice was making her break from the inside.

Hinata is indeed a very lucky woman.

"And I think the same goes for teme." He added and chuckled while pointing to the newcomer behind him using his thumb. Milliseconds later Sasuke jumped down and huffed at Naruto's statement.

"Good morning Sasuke-san." Was Hinata's quick greeting and Sasuke returned her acknowledgement with a sharp nod.

Sakura was lazily waving back at him when Neji's voice interrupted their exchange of greetings.

"Good morning everyone." His deep voice interjected after walking over to the group then handed each of them a folder. "It contains the mission's information. You know what to do after you're done reading."

Sakura silently took the folder and unconsciously nodded while flipping the first page. Neji looked up at the sky.

"It's time to leave. We are already three minutes behind schedule."

When the pink haired kunoichi looked up from the folder she saw Naruto glaring at Neji while chewing the inside of his cheek. Seeing this, she began to shoot him death glares until he noticed.

"Hai." Naruto replied with an exaggerated sigh before Neji jumped off.

The others followed suit.

* * *

><p><strong>SAKURA POV<strong>

The journey to Suna was very hushed and awkward. Even if I warned Naruto (and Sasuke for that matter) that they should try and maintain a professional atmosphere, it did not stop the group from being split into two. Neji and Tenten kept mostly to themselves while Hinata, bless her, was trying to keep Naruto preoccupied by chatting with him and well…being there for him. Sasuke and I however had our own agendas to tend to, so we were as silent as a still wind.

We had been travelling for two days now and we had little to no rest, which is expected if you are under Neji's leadership. Because of this Naruto and Hinata would check up on me every now and then through stolen glances and every time I catch them, I would give them a smile and a thumbs up to show that I was okay.

But I wasn't.

Apparently two days isn't enough for one to recuperate from chakra depletion and it took all of my efforts to 'budget' my chakra so that I could last until Suna. Beads of sweat would travel down my face and my breaths would get heavy, while I tried not to make a single stumble or stop for that matter, which will cause the others to unnecessarily worry.

While we were crossing the borders towards Suna, Neji suddenly jumped down into a clearing and we followed suit.

"What's wrong?" Tenten asked after landing behind him and Neji turned around to face the group.

"We're camping here for the night."

I had to sigh in relief.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, sleeping bags were sprawled in a semi circle with a camp fire in the middle. Neji had caught six fishes earlier on and they were now being roasted above the fire in wooden sticks. While waiting for them to be cooked, Hinata and I went to the water fall to get rid of the grime and dirt that had accumulated in our bodies for the past two days while the others remained in their sleeping bags, resting.<p>

"Are you sure you're okay Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked after she emerged from the river and began to dry her hair with a towel.

I looked up from my scrubbing and raised an eyebrow towards her. "Yeah, why? Do I look that bad?" I tried to joke around a bit, but she didn't seem amused at all.

"Well…we could all hear your breathing back there." She replied before slipping onto a fresh shirt.

'_Crap. And I thought I was doing a good job hiding it.'_ I thought bitterly and sighed for the umpteenth time. After I was done scrubbing and happy with how clean I was, I stood up and looked at Hinata. "Hinata-chan, can you please pass my towel?"

Embarrassment and awkwardness had long been banished between me and Hinata, because we were often paired during missions.

Hinata tossed the towel and I caught it with a flourish, before I wrapped it around my body and left the river. "I am fine as of the moment, I'm just having difficulties adjusting." I admitted and gave her a wry smile. I walked towards my small bag of toiletries and began rummaging through it, trying to find my undies.

When I felt her gaze still trained upon me, I looked up in exasperation. "Hinata-chan, I AM FINE." I said and angrily pulled out my clothing. "Please, if you have a little bit of respect left for me, don't worry so much."

"I'm sorry." Her low voice filled the quiet surroundings. "We were just so scared when…that happened…"

I slipped onto my underwear and took off the towel that covered my body, then began to change into a new set of clothing. "I know and I do apologize for scaring you guys like that. You know how I am." I added dryly.

I breathed a sigh of comfort at the scent of new clothes and as I began to dry my hair, I gazed at Hinata for the second time. The Hyuuga Heiress seemed equally exhausted and worn out, but I presume that I looked even worse. "I am recuperating."

"In both ways?" She asked tentatively and the way that caution was lacing her voice made me laugh.

"I really can't say the same for the emotional part. But physically, yes." I said then crouched over so that I can close the bag. I let my damp towel hang onto my shoulder before we began walking back to the camping grounds. By the time we reached them, I saw Naruto happily eating his share, Sasuke and Neji eating quietly and Tenten standing up.

"I'll be right back." I heard her say and she passed by us. I presumed that she was going to take a bath as well.

After I placed my stuff back into my bag, I reached over the camp fire, took my own share and sat down on my own sleeping bag that was situated between Sasuke and Naruto. Being able to take a bath felt really good and I didn't realize how bushed I really was until I felt the softness of the sleeping bag underneath me.

I didn't even want to eat and I ended up just staring on my cooked fish.

"Naruto-kun." I said and his blue orbs met mine. He was already done with his own food and was in the middle of chatting with Hinata. "Do you want my share?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Sakura-chan, you need to eat." He said and pushed back the fish. "It's fine."

"No…I really don't have the appetite." I said, pushing back the food towards him. "Even if I wanted to eat, I don't think I'll be able to hold it down."

He made a face. It was so cute I had to stop myself from smiling. "But Sakura-chan… are you feeling okay?"

"I'm alright…" I was so tired of telling everyone that I was alright, but I knew that if I didn't answer Naruto he would take it the wrong way. "I'm just too exhausted."

"Oh—okay then…thank you." He said and hesitantly took my food. I then lay down and made myself comfortable underneath the covers of my sleeping bag and the voices of Hinata and Naruto talking hummed me to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>NORMAL POV<strong>

Sakura's eyes fluttered open at the sound of Naruto's loud snoring. She had spent so many years away from him that she was having difficulty sleeping beside him…again. But then it was just as comforting as it was annoying and as she sat up, she tried to rub the sleepiness and irritation from her eyes.

She glanced to the person beside her and saw Sasuke sleeping serenely.

Beauty incarnate.

She had forgotten how handsome Sasuke really was, how elegant his features really were and how outstanding he was as a man. She had almost forgotten the fact that he was once her teammate, someone who had been spending time with her and Naruto before he became a classified S rank criminal.

Sakura turned her head to the right and caught sight of Hinata, sleeping like an angel and Tenten, with her back facing her.

Neji however was fully awake and staring right back at her.

Sakura took in a deep breath. She looked back at him, wondering if this was all a dream or whatnot. But alas, it was all real and realizing this she sighed for the umpteenth time. His hair wasn't in a ponytail, which made him look almost ethereal and the way he was gazing at her made her heart ache.

No…he was making her heart _throb._

She slowly stood up and walked towards the river and Neji, with stealth that only a ninja could obtain, silently followed. When Sakura reached the river, she knelt on the bank and splashed her face with the cold water, before she felt Neji's presence behind her.

**SAKURA POV**

"Sakura." I had to shut my eyes tight for the way he had called my name.

It made me feel so bitterly nostalgic.

"Neji." I replied, trying to make my voice remain calm and composed. I gazed at my reflection in the river. Kami-sama, I looked like a person who had just risen from the death. "I want to talk to you."

"I'm here to listen." Was his abrupt reply and took two steps forward. I saw his own face reflecting on the water and for a while we gazed at each other through the reflection. "Sakura…you do not know how sorry I am for…"

"Like I said Neji." I huffed out a breath. "_I _am the one who wants to talk to you."

Neji closed his mouth.

It took all of my courage and will power to continue.

"Tenten is my friend, you know that right?"

He slowly nodded and I looked up towards him.

"Yes, she is one of your closest friends."

"Which is why…" Tears were threatening to fall now. "I want you to make do with what you have done."

Silence.

"I'm sorry, I don't get it…"

"Make up with what you have done Neji…" Another deep breath. Just a few minutes more and I'm really going to lose it. "By taking care of Tenten for me. Do not make the same mistake again."

His eyes widened. "Sakura—"

"I know, I know it's too fast." I began to laugh bitterly and looked up to the sky to try and stop my tears from falling. Since when did I become this idiotic but trying to be heroic woman anyway? "But I know that keeping a grudge would be futile and I don't want this kind of atmosphere to continue between us. I want to continue with my life and I know you want the same thing as well."

He didn't say anything and I took it as a yes. I slowly went on my feet and faced him.

God, smiling never felt so painful.

"Take care of each other Neji." I said and patted his shoulder. "It will take time for me to heal, I admit, but I think things are better this way. We have to move on right?" I said and I heard my voice crack at the last word.

Neji's eyebrows furrowed. I wondered what was going through his mind when he made a move to hug me. I took a step back and he stopped. "Please, don't make this harder that it already is Neji." I pleaded and raised my hand towards him. "Just a handshake would suffice." I tried to smile again, but failed miserably at my attempt.

But instead of shaking my hand, he took it and kissed it. "Thank you, Sakura." The relief was evident on his voice and I cleared my throat. He was happy…so I should be happy as well right?

Not.

"No problem, team leader." I replied before he let go of my hand. "You can go ahead. I'll stay here for a few minutes more."

Neji nodded as he walked back to the camping site while I stayed there, my eyes on his retreating figure. My heart hurt so much that I wanted nothing more than to rip it out and take a breath. I felt suffocated, I felt lonely…

_I felt miserable_.

But I knew that it was the right thing to do.

I didn't know how long I spent just standing there and staring at the trees where Neji had disappeared to, but the sound of movement broke my train of thoughts and I immediately tore my gaze away from the lush green grass.

It was Sasuke.

"Sakura?" He called out and walked towards me.

And then, the dam broke.

The tears were coming out of their own and before I knew it I was crying like a baby. I sobbed hard and I was hiccupping between breaths. It was one of those rare times where you cry _so _hard that your body can barely keep up.

I looked up to Sasuke and tried to smile, but my vision was blurred by the tears that were pouring out incessantly.

I was surprised to find that he didn't seem confused…at all. It was like he knew what just happened.

Another thing that I didn't expect though, were the strong arms that wrapped itself around my figure. I stepped closer towards him and leaned my forehead onto his shoulder, then sobbed even harder while his other hand comfortingly rubbed my back.

"I'm—sorry." I hiccupped and pulled away, before looking up towards him. "I spoiled your shirt."

He seemed annoyed at what I said and I felt his hand on the back of my head, pushing me back into his shoulder. "Just let it out Sakura. Don't worry about it."

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><p><strong>E.I: Read and review! :D<strong>


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